The contract to build Bahrain's new state-of-the-art Shaikh Khalifa Port in Hidd has been awarded to a US company.

Construction giant Great Lakes and Dock, which has carried out several major projects in the US, is known for completing projects on time and to specifications, Abdulla Ahmed Nass Construction Company's projects director Ghazi Nass said. A A Nass is the local sponsor of the company.

The US company has already carried out several major projects in Bahrain and in the region. Local companies will also participate in the project, Nass said.

The port should be operational in four years, he added.

The project involves reclamation works, building berths and basic infrastructure, equipment and cranes in addition to supervision and engineering expertise.

The project is part of the new port and industrial area at Hidd which also involves reclamation of an area of around 700 hectares to provide a corridor for the port access roadway and an area for industrial development.

When completed, the port will be able to handle containers, general cargo, dry bulk and roll-on-roll-off traffic.

Meanwhile, Bahrain is launching a major airport expansion, to cope with soaring demand. A new runway and control tower are to be built at the airport and technology is being upgraded.

The blueprint for the project was recently unveiled by Transportation Minister Shaikh Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa.

Developments at the airport, including the expansion of the Bahrain Duty Free section, the construction of a new hotel and an increase in the number of food outlets, all aim to provide better services to travellers, he said.

Shaikh Ali said work was under way on the Bahrain Duty Free area, which will open at the departures lounge at the end of the year. A new, 120-room four-star hotel will be completed next June, at a cost of BD5 million ($13.3 million).

Other developments at the airport include a BD3 million facelift, including new first and business-class lounges.

The state-of-the-art control tower will ensure the highest level of safety, he said. A study to upgrade an existing taxiway to become a second runway has been completed and work will start soon, said Shaikh Ali.

Automatic landing equipment used at the airport is also being upgraded. The aim is to make the airport one of the most modern and technologically advanced in the region, said Shaikh Ali.