Bahrain completes first phase of Dhs3.7bn airport modernisation project

The first phase of the Bahrain International Airport modernisation project is complete. The expansion project was financed through Dhs3.7bn ($1bn) from Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, one of UAE’s leading financial institutions.

The Fund facilitated the project on behalf of the UAE, which extended Dhs9.1bn ($2.5bn) to Bahrain in 2013 as part of its commitment to the GCC Development Programme.

The new 210,000 square-metre terminal is four times the size of the existing one, enabling the airport to double its passenger handling capacity to 14 million annually.

The project includes many associated projects, including 5,500 car parks, two receptions, hospitality lounges for first and business class travellers, a building dedicated to private aviation, in addition to a central security gate, a building for fire and rescue services, an area for duty-free outlets that is four times that of the current area, as well as an aircraft fuelling area. Also, the new terminal houses a hotel that offers a variety of accommodation options.

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The terminal is the largest green facility in Bahrain that has earned a Gold Certification from Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED), an internationally recognised green building certification system.

Bahrain is one of the first countries where ADFD undertook development activities in 1974. The Fund has financed 29 projects worth AED19.5 billion in various sectors to drive sustainable socio-economic development in the country.

“The airport expansion project will greatly benefit the Bahraini economy and enhance the role of its services sector, which is a priority economic sector for Bahrain to establish itself as a regional logistical hub,” said Mohammed Saif Al Suwaidi, director-general of Abu Dhabi Fund for Development. “The project, which is one of the largest and most important in the civil aviation sector in more than 20 years, will revitalise tourism and commerce.”