Saudi Arabia's Matarat Holding, in cooperation with the National Center for Privatization, announced the start of the expressions of interest stage for the project to develop Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Qassim under a public-private partnership model including build, transfer and operate, with a contract spanning 30 years including the construction period, inviting local, regional and international private sector companies to participate and submit their offers.
The President of the General Authority of Civil Aviation and Chairman of Matarat Holding, Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Duailej, explained that launching the request for expressions of interest for the project confirms the civil aviation system's commitment to empowering and involving the private sector and strengthening qualitative investment partnerships in the airports sector, helping develop infrastructure, raise operating efficiency and develop the best services for travellers, according to a post on the Saudi Press Agency website.
He stressed that the project to develop Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Qassim is one of the strategic projects supporting the targets of the Aviation Program emanating from the National Transport and Logistics Strategy, and reflects the system's keenness to attract local and international investment, strengthen the competitiveness of regional airports and support economic and tourism development in the Kingdom's regions, in line with the targets of Saudi Vision 2030.
The project to develop Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Qassim is in line with the targets of Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to boost the growth of the aviation sector in Saudi Arabia, as the Kingdom seeks, through the National Transport and Logistics Strategy and its Aviation Program, to strengthen its position as a global logistics hub linking the world's three continents and to establish itself among the ranks of developed countries.
The scope of the project includes developing and operating Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Qassim, including design, financing, construction, transfer, operation and maintenance. The project site is located 25 km from the city of Buraidah in the Qassim region, and the scope includes a fully equipped terminal to accommodate the airport's expected demand, along with support service facilities and the development of airside infrastructure including the runway, taxiways and aprons.
Completion of the project will help raise the airport's capacity to keep pace with expected growth in annual travel, and the project will also play a pivotal role in supporting the rapid economic transformation the Kingdom is witnessing and strengthening its growing position as a major destination for business and tourism.
Matarat Holding and the National Center for Privatization invited interested investors to review the request for expressions of interest document, which contains the project information, by visiting the National Center for Privatization website www.ncp.gov.sa. The application stage ends on 23 February 2026 at 11:59 pm Saudi time.
It is worth noting that Matarat Holding oversees the operation of 27 airports in the Kingdom through its subsidiaries Riyadh Airports, Jeddah Airports, Dammam Airports and the Second Airports Cluster, seeking through this to develop airport infrastructure and raise the quality of services, in line with the targets of the Aviation Program emanating from the National Transport and Logistics Strategy, one of the outputs of Saudi Vision 2030.
To view the post on the Saudi Press Agency website, click here.
