MANAMA: The Government has set aside $1.1billion on the modernization of the Bahrain International Airport (BIA) over next four years.
Transportation and Telecommunications Minister, Kamal bin Ahmed Mohammed, unveiled the completion of final blueprints of the programme for modernization and expansion of Bahrain International Airport (BIA) and the offering of all tenders, which include the initial phase of construction of a new passenger’s terminal building and naming the contracting company for preparatory construction works.
The minister in his press remarks on the side-lines of his patronage of inauguration of the Arab Airports Conference said that the budget to be invested in BIA over the next four years is an estimated sum of $ 1.1 billion.
He expected the appointment of the second preparatory construction contractor next week, and the main construction works tenders by the end of July and the awarding of the project’s main contractor by the end of October. More than 15 international companies will participate in the major construction works, he added.
The new passenger terminal will accommodate 24 small aircrafts simultaneously in addition to 24 aerial towers, which will be completed by early 2019. Modern IT systems will ensure efficient, speedy procedures completion for the constantly increasing numbers of passengers. This will restore BIA’s position as a regional hub for aviation traffic in the region.
Masoud Ebrahim Al Hermi, President of Bahrain Society of Engineers, in his speech said that the conference was one of the series of conferences and seminars that are organized by the Arab Engineers Federation in co-operation with Arab engineering societies.
“The modern transportation means play important role in the communication process between nations and in linking them together where airports play more significant roles. As such, countries compete to build and modernize their airports to attract major international companies and to accommodate more passengers in a manner that boost tourism which has become an industry in itself,” he said.
“Since airports have various specializations, they require huge investments as they are designed based on international criterion that takes into account security, safety, infrastructure, environment and operations in addition to other aspects including architecture and engineering of airports and service facilities and various other aspects.
“This Conference presents an ideal opportunity for gathering of specialists in designing and building airports from various countries to exchange experience and knowledge, specially the main speakers who have been invited from different geographical locations to benefit from their experience and expertise.
“Since this conference is of significant and renewable importance that requires the specialists to continuously keep pace with the developments in this sphere, we, at the Bahrain Society of Engineers, have decided to continue organizing it once every two years in order to update and discuss such developments as a topic for the specialists and those concerned in this area.”