A TOTAL of more than $8 billion is to be spent over the next few years to build, upgrade  and expand airports in the GCC, according to Gulf Construction estimates.

The showpiece project in the region is the expansion of Dubai international airport which alone involves an investment of $4.5 billion.  Besides Dubai, other airport projects are envisaged in the UAE for Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Fujairah, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and Ajman.
Elsewhere in the region, major projects are planned in each of the GCC states.  These include Doha International Airport's $1 billion expansion and the $150 million upgrade of the existing international airport in Qatar's capital city, King Abdulaziz International Airport's $1.5 billion facelift and new terminal project in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Seeb International Airport's $168.8 million expansion in Muscat, Oman, Bahrain International Airport's $700 million expansion and Kuwait's Airspace System that will cost $289 million.

UAE
Work on Dubai International Airport's $4.5 billion expansion is under way with a contract imminent on the second package of the project.  A string of tenders are expected to be issued over the course of this year (see separate report).
Abu Dhabi International Airport is gearing up for a $600 million expansion which will be completed in the first quarter of 2005.  Bids for the main building terminal package were due to be submitted last month following an extended  deadline.
Phase I expansion involves the construction of a new two-storey terminal building to house the arrival and departure lounges, 11 bays, six remote bays and a 7,000 sq m shopping area. Related facilities would include a cinema complex, meeting rooms, three large lounges and a parking area for 400 cars.
The new terminal will be linked to the existing terminal.
France's Aeroports de Paris has designed the new terminal, which will have a capacity of four million passengers a year.
Phase two involves the construction of a second runway. The UK's Halcrow Group is the consultant and Parsons International is the overall project manager.
Ajman is setting up the UAE's seventh international airport at Al Helou. The UK's Wiggins Group is undertaking the Dh367 million ($100 million) build-operate-transfer (BOT) contract to construct the terminal and allied infrastructure. The facility will cater to international passengers, airfreight and the business jets market. The complex will include a private jet terminal with maintenance facilities and will serve as a complete air service station.
Construction work on the Ajman Airport is expected to begin next March, according to officials of the Wiggins Group. A draft of the masterplan for the project has been submitted to the Ajman government. It also calls for the development of about 8 km of land and involves 20 to 30 boutique hotels, resorts, residential and tourism facilities and a commercial and light industrial zone.
The airport will have a 4,000-m runway and two taxiways. It will be built to cater initially to about two million passengers per year and will have provision for hangars for maintenance, general aviation and a royal lounge.  The airport will be built in phases and buildings, terminals and other facilities will be added to support the growth. Construction of the first phase of the airport is expected to take about 18 months. Commercial flights are expected to begin by 2006.
According to the plan, the airport will be part of a growing international network of airports and airstrips under the brand name PlaneStation which is designed to open up new routes, avoid flight delays and generate new business and jobs. The PlaneStation project is expected to see 30 airports, including as many as 11 in the Middle East, becoming fully operational and handling millions of passengers by 2007. The traffic will be boosted by this network and bank on the spillover effect from Dubai International Airport.
Meanwhile, Fujairah International Airport is expanding its facilities to include a second runway of 4,250 m at a cost of Dh183 million ($49.8 million). It is scheduled to be completed by 2005.
In Ras Al Khaimah, Khatib and Alami has been appointed as the consultant on the expansion project at the RAK International Airport.  The airport will accommodate an airport hotel, two terminals and expanded runway and taxiways. 
Al Ain Airport, which was opened in March 1994, is undergoing a $20.5 million renovation and expansion programme that is scheduled to be completed next year. The project comprises four major parts including a new building for air freight, a catering building, a building for all ground services equipment and expansion and renovation of the present terminal building. The development also includes installation of a new automated baggage claim area.
Three new lounges, including a VIP lounge, will be introduced in the existing terminal to accommodate the growing number of passengers. The existing 450 sq m duty free shopping complex will also be doubled in size.
According to the Department of Civil Aviation, the completion of the project will double the existing facilities and enable the airport, which also serves as an alternate airport for Abu Dhabi, to handle 50 per cent more passengers.
Among other developments, a multi-million-dollar project involving the construction of a new terminal building is under way at Sharjah International Airport. The project is expected to be completed this year.
It envisages the construction of a new facility for arrivals alongside the existing arrivals hall, connected to the complex by a bridge. It will also have three separate conveyors for luggage-handling, apart from moving walkways and allied facilities. The new terminal is expected to double the airport's existing capacity, offering more spacious premises for duty free, immigration and security.
The airport has been steadily expanding and upgrading for some time now, with significant investments having been made in the cargo and transit passenger areas.

Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is expected to pick a contractor to build the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah  - of the Kingdom's three international airports - by the year-end. The expansion of Jeddah airport, which servies as a main gateway for Haj and Umrah pilgrims, is expected to cost $1.5 billion.
Earlier this year, the US' Bechtel and the local Dar Al-Riyadh were awarded a construction management and supervision contract for the airport by the Presidency of Civil Aviation. The design consultant is the Netherlands Airport Consultants (Naco).
The expansion project calls for the construction of new terminals for international and domestic passengers, expansion of existing terminals, construction of 25 air bridges, more parking facilities, a new access road, and the upgrade of landside and airside infrastructure and associated utilities.
There will be 31 to 46 gates of embarkation and disembarkation. The distinguishing features of the architectural style will be crescent-shaped roofs and gardens inside the airport.
The first new terminal will be built to the east of the present Southern Terminal on an area of 45,000 sq m to serve international passengers.  There will be 130 service counters, in addition to restaurants and prayer rooms.
The present Southern Terminal, built on 83,000 sq m, will be renovated to receive incoming international flights as well as VIPs.
The third terminal of 49,000 sq m will be constructed to the west of the Southern Terminal on two levels for domestic arrivals and departures.  A 1,400-m-long passage fitted with moving walkways will connect the three lounges.
The new two-storey car park will accommodate 5,700 cars. The work on the expansion will start in 2004 and will be completed by the fall of 2010.
The project will increase the airport's capacity from 13 million passengers per year to 21 million. The Jeddah airport now handles about 80 per cent of pilgrim traffic and 40 per cent of overall air traffic in the kingdom.
Meanwhile, a new airport at Dawadmi in the Central Province of Saudi Arabia became operational in early April.
Located 21 km from the city, Dawadmi airport has three lounges for arrivals and departures and is designed to handle one million passengers a year.

Bahrain
Alwardi Construction has been awarded the main contract for the construction of a new air traffic control tower which is being built as part of Bahrain International Airport's expansion plans.
The BD2.5 million ($6.6 million) project will be completed in a year. The tower has been designed by local consultant Ahmed Abubaker Janahi Architects.
The tower forms part of the initial phase in the planned upgrade of the airport's infrastructure. A BD7.8 million contract was awarded last year for upgrading the runway facilities at the airport. Another BD1.4 million project is also under way to improve facilities for cargo aircraft and to build additional aprons.
Among the facilities being developed in the cargo area are a dual carriageway, car parking and a building for cargo agents.
The airport's long-term expansion plan also includes a multi-storey car park, a shopping mall, and more air bridges and check-in counters.

Qatar
Qatar Airways is to invest $150 million in a second phase expansion of the Doha International Airport.
The carrier, which runs the airport, plans to make the investment in the second half of this year. "This second phase expansion, which will take five months to complete, calls for the expanding the arrivals terminal to raise its capacity from 3.5 million to six million passengers," airline chief Akbar Al Baker said.
"The project also involves the construction of an additional five bays and two hangars, expanding the duty free by 25 per cent to 1,250 sq m, and building a covered car park that can take 2,000 vehicles.
The third phase of the expansion of existing facilities at Doha International Airport will see Qatar Airways invest an additional $50 million and will provide an additional five bays - taking the total number of bays to 29.
The announcement of the expansion of the existing airport - made in May - seems to indicate that Qatar has shelved plans to get its new Doha International airport ready in time for the Asian Games.
A consultant for the estimated $1 billion airport was expected to be announced early this year. A new steering committee has been set up to oversee the project and has been handed its own budget to implement it.
The project is to be sited over an area of around 10,000 sq m to the east of the existing airport on Ras Abu Aboud Road.
Four prequalified international consultants submitted bids to act as design and project management consultants for the project. The consultant's scope of work will involve the preparation of a masterplan.
The new airport will have a capacity to handle 12 million passengers a year and 500,000 tonnes per year of cargo. It will also include maintenance hangars and support facilities and will house the Amiri flight. The site requires major preparation works, including excavation, filling and reclamation.
During the first phase, a 4,850 m-long runway is planned to be built. During the second phase, a similar runway will be put in place.

Oman
The $168.8 million expansion of Seeb International airport will be tendered shortly.  Construction is expected to begin later this year, for completion in late 2006.
The project offers a comprehensive phase-by-phase development of the airport's infrastructure on a long-term basis. Phase one is designed to increase passenger throughput at the airport from 2.3 million to 6.5 million by 2006.
The Oman Civil Aviation authorities are looking into four design concepts, which have been submitted for evaluation, as part of a feasibility study. The scope of works involves doubling the size of the check-in area and departure areas; improving the transfer passenger facilities and the departure lounge and retail area; construction of support accommodation, offices, hotel and other support facilities; and redevelopment of airside/landside infrastructure.
The project is being developed by Oman Airport Management Company, a partnership comprising Bahwan Trading Company, British Airport Authority,  the Government of Oman, ABB and Oman Aviation Services Company.