based Changi Airports International (CAI) has won a license to operate Jeddah's new King Abdulaziz International Airport for a period of 20 years. This was announced by Minister of Transport Suleiman Al-Hamdan, who is also chairman of the board of General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA). He said that the experimental operation of the airport is expected to begin with the Haj season of 2018. Addressing a press conference at the special media center of the new airport, Al-Hamdan said that around 88 percent of the work of the airport project has been completed and the remaining work will be speeded up over the coming period. "The CAI will take over the work over the coming four weeks. Awarding of the license to a foreign operator does not mean either exclusion of the Saudis or depriving them of new job opportunities," he said, adding that the ultimate goal of GACA is to enable citizens to run all airports in the Kingdom. The consortium of Saudi Binladin Group and Aeroports de Paris Management of France, and Malaysia Airport Holding Berhad were among other bidders for the contract to operate the airport. -- SG/SPA
