KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Public Works Minister Ali Al-Omair yesterday signed a KD 1.3-billion ($4.4-billion) contract with Turkish firm Limak Construction for a new airport terminal that will more than triple passenger capacity. The new terminal, due to be completed in six years, will raise capacity at Kuwait International Airport to 25 million passengers annually from around seven million now, the minister said. It will accommodate all aircraft types at 51 gates, an addition of 30 new gates, and will be able to serve 21 Airbus 380 superjumbos simultaneously, Omair said.
In a press statement after signing the contract with Limak, Omair said that the construction of the new terminal is part of a broad development plan aimed to propel Kuwait to regional prominence, adding that the new terminal would help upgrade Kuwait airport. “The project has long been overdue,” Omair said, noting that the ministry will follow the progress of the project, while ensuring that “there would be no delays in construction”.
Undersecretary of the Ministry of Public Works Awatef Al-Ghunaim said that the new terminal would be a landmark in the country, adding that the building is spread over 700,000 sq m and is environment-friendly. Vice Chairman of Limak Holding Sezai Bacaksiz said that it is a “tremendous honor to have been selected to construct this new terminal”, as he thanked Kuwait for its confidence in the company’s capabilities. “This is not merely a new terminal, but an economic link between Kuwait and Turkey,” he said, adding that “the terminal has been designed in a way to ensure smooth and convenient travel”.
Turkey’s Ambassador to Kuwait Murat Tamer, President of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) Fawaz Al-Farrah, and a number of officials from the Ministry of Public Works attended the contract signing. – Agencies (See Page 3)
