The Saudi Binladen Group has won the contracts to implement two airport projects in Egypt and Yemen financed by the World Bank, Al-Eqtisadiah business daily reported yesterday. The group, whose chairman is Bakr Binladen, will construct a new passenger lounge for the airport in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh. In addition to the 44,000-sq.m. lounge, the project includes an air traffic observation building and other related facilities. Egypt's Minister of International Cooperation Fayza Abul Naga said the World Bank has approved loans worth $335 million to finance the development projects for Cairo and Sharm El-Sheikh airports. Egypt's Prime Minister Dr. Ahmed Nazif met with World Bank President James Wolfensohn in October last year and held talks about economic cooperation between the two sides. Binladen has already completed the renovation of Aden International Airport in Yemen, Al-Eqtisadiah said, adding that the World Bank financed the project. The group has carried out nine other projects including the Kuala Lumpur Airport, Port Sudan Airport, Prince Salman Airport in Al-Dawadmi, expansion of Cairo airport and renovation of some airports in Syria. Binladen Group has vast experience in airport infrastructure projects. In addition to Sharm El-Sheikh airport, it has also won the contract to implement the Sharjah International Airport project, the daily said.
