Saudi Arabia Plans Airport Takeovers and Privatisations

Saudi Arabia plans to convert its airport operators into holding companies and transfer them to its powerful sovereign wealth fund with a view to eventual privatisation for some, the head of Saudi Arabia General Authority of Civil Aviation said on Monday.

Abdulaziz al-Duailej told the Saudi-owned Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that Abha International Airport is being put on “the privatisation path” and is going through final technical and economic studies.

Airports in Taif and Qassim are also proposed for privatisation, he said, adding that requests to invest in the kingdom’s aviation sector are being studied.

The kingdom’s 22 airports will be set up as airport holding companies, which will oversee construction, operation, and management. They will then be transferred to the Public Investment Fund (PIF) to “put on the market at a later time”, the newspaper reported.

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