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Saudi awards Jeddah airport contract to Habtoor Leighton JV

HLG says the Jeddah airport project is strategically a very important venture. (Image Source: HLG Group)

Habtoor Leighton Group (HLG) and its joint venture (JV) partners TAV Construction and Al Rajhi Holding have won a US$765 million contract to redevelop Jeddahs King Abdulaziz International Airport

Awarded by Saudi Aerospace and Engineering Industries (SAEI), the project marks HLG's?first major venture in the Saudi market?and forms part of an overall $7.2 billion expansion plan to increase the airport's capacity from 13 million to 80 million passengers per year by 2035.

HLG announced in a statement that its share of the total deal was worth $153mn.

HLG CEO and managing director, Laurie Voyer, said this project was typical of some of the new work opportunities that HLG was pursuing in the region and reflected the group's growth strategy to expand into new geographic markets.

The scope of project includes the design and construction of 11 aircraft maintenance hangars, ancillary buildings and MRO facilities (Maintenance, Repair and Operation). The work is expected to commence immediately, with the facility due for completion in October 2014.

The SAEI hangars will be one of the largest MRO facilities in the region and the company has an option to increase the facility by a further nine hangars.

"We're confident that this is the first of a number of projects we will secure in Saudi Arabia in 2012," Voyer said.

UAE-based HLG is a joint venture between the Al Habtoor Group and Australia's Leighton Holdings.