A pair of U.S.-based firms have been awarded key contracts for the estimated $7.2-billion expansion of The King Salman International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which would be the largest in the world upon completion.

The King Salman International Airport Development Co., (KSIADC), part of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, announced delivery partner agreements with Bechtel and Parsons at the Saudi-US Investment Forum in Riyadh on May 13. 

“Our company is proceeding according to schedule to complete various executive works for buildings and infrastructure, ensuring the airport is ready to welcome travelers as soon as possible,” said KSIADC Acting CEO Marco Meji.

Delivery partner roles have been used in many of Saudi Arabia’s largest projects and involve assisting the owner through project management, design management, cost consulting and procurement advice.

The expanded King Salman International Airport (KSIA) would be built around the current King Khalid International Airport and cover 22 square miles and include six parallel runways. The kingdom has targeted 2030 for the expansion’s completion, with the airport being able to accommodate 120 million passengers per year. By 2050, it is estimated that figure will balloon to 185 million, according to officials.

The Riyadh infrastructure event was attended by President Donald Trump, where he touted a $600-billion commitment by Saudi Arabia to invest in the United States. The investments would encompass fields of energy security, defense industry, technology leadership and access to global infrastructure and critical minerals.

As part of the announced agreement, Bechtel will manage the development of three terminals—a new terminal dedicated to commercial airlines, a new Terminal 6 and a third terminal for private aviation, which will include aircraft maintenance facilities. The terminals will absorb or replace all existing facilities of the King Khalid International Airport.

“The KSIA project represents one of the world’s most prominent aviation projects currently under development,” said Darren Mort, president of Bechtel’s infrastructure business. “We are delighted to be part of this inspiring project and to contribute our previous experience from major airports worldwide in realizing the airport’s vision and delivering an exceptional, unprecedented travel experience globally.”

Parsons was awarded two four-year, delivery partner contracts developing critical airport infrastructure and providing comprehensive project management services. The firm will have responsibility for design, permitting, procurement, construction and commissioning from initial planning through to final handover, officials said.

The scope of the contracts includes airside facilities such as runways, taxiways, aircraft parking areas and air traffic control tower, along with ground infrastructure including roads, tunnels, bridges, railway networks and landscaping.

Infrastructure Expertise

Both Bechtel and Parsons have long records with aviation infrastructure in the Middle East. 

Bechtel was designer, project manager and construction manager for the Dubai International Airport in the United Arab Emirates, as well as the King Khalid and King Fahd airports in Saudi Arabia. Parsons has worked on numerous aviation projects in the Middle East including Zayed International Airport and Sharjah International Airport in the United Arab Emirates, Hamad International Airport in Qatar, and Kuwait International Airport

The two companies are the second and third major U.S.-based firm to be involved with the Riyadh project. Last year, four design firms, including U.S.-based Jacobs, signed strategic partnerships to develop the mega-airport. 

Jacobs and U.K.-based Foster + Partners are providing concept master plan validation, detailed master plan design, runway design and other services. The two firms previously won a competition to design the concept master plan for the airport. Saudi Arabia-based Mace Group, the delivery partner for the project, will focus on planning and construction schedules. Nera, also based in the kingdom, will provide technical and operational solutions for the aviation and air navigation.

The airport expansion plan was announced by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2022. The project is part of the broader Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to diversify Saudi Arabia away from its dependence on oil revenues. 

The plan, introduced in 2016, calls for making Saudi Arabia a regional logistics hub in part by increasing air connectivity to 250 destinations and transporting 330 million passengers. A number of major airport expansions and new construction across the kingdom have since been unveiled.

The project is one of two mega-airports under development in the Middle East. Last year, Dubai announced a $35-billion plan to expand the Al Maktoum International Airport over the next ten years. The new airport, also known as Dubai World Central, would replace the existing Dubai International Airport, currently the busiest in the world for international traffic.

The UAE project would surpass Saudi Arabia’s effort by expanding the emirate’s second-largest airport to cover 27 sq miles and include five parallel runways. The four terminals will accommodate 400 gates, thus enabling the facility to handle up to 260 million passengers and more than 13 million tons of cargo per year.