Global engineering and construction company Bechtel will build three new terminals for Saudi Arabia’s King Salman International Airport under a newly signed agreement with the facility’s developer.
Bechtel said Tuesday that the partnership agreement with King Salman International Airport Development Co. calls for integrating or replacing existing KSIA facilities. Its work will involve designing and constructing terminals for commercial and low-cost carriers and a new terminal with hangars for private aircraft.
LEED Platinum Certification Goal
Bechtel said it will integrate environmentally friendly building methods, prioritizing the three terminals to achieve LEED Platinum certification for leadership in energy and environmental design.
Darren Mort, president of Bechtel’s infrastructure business, noted that the new phase of KSIA’s development is a “landmark project that will reshape Riyadh” and enhance the airport’s services. “We look forward to partnering with King Salman International Airport Development Company to bring their vision of a world-class passenger experience to life,” he added. Mort signed the partnership agreement with Marco Mejia, KSIADC’s acting CEO.
World’s Largest Airport
The KSIA project will deliver six parallel runways and facilities for handling a projected annual capacity of 185 million passengers and 3.5 million tons of cargo by 2050. The development of the airport, envisioned as the world’s largest upon its completion in the next decade, is one of the drivers for Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, seeking to diversify the country’s economy.
In September 2023, Craig Albert, Bechtel’s president, led the opening ceremonies of the company’s new regional headquarters in Riyadh, which he said “reflects our strong and longstanding commitment to our customers and partners in the region.” It has delivered over 300 Saudi projects, including the Riyadh Metro transit system that opened in December.
The Saudi firm earlier signed in August four partnership agreements in the airport project with Foster + Partners, Jacobs, Mace and Saudi company Nera for work on KSIA architecture, engineering, construction and air traffic management, International Airport Review reported. Separately, Parsons was selected as a delivery partner for the project.