KSA takes airport privatization into higher gear

The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation (Gaca) is moving Saudi’s airport privatization from proof of concept to a nationwide rollout, with the 30-year concession for Abha International Airport set to be awarded by March, Gaca President Abdulaziz Al Duailej confirmed on Tuesday. The project — which aims to scale capacity from 1.5 mn to 13 mn passengers over three phases — marks the start of a pipeline that includes Taif, Qassim, and Hail.

The Madinah model is the blueprint: GACA is doubling down on the success of the Tibah Consortium (Al Rajhi Holding + Turkey’s TAV Airports) at Madinah’s Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport. Since taking over in 2012, Tibah has tripled capacity to 9.4 mn passengers and pays GACA a staggering 54.5% of gross revenues — an arrangement expected to net the regulator USD 7 bn over the concession term. Tibah has pledged USD 275 mn in March last year to raise capacity to 18 mn and renewed its initial 25-year concession to 2041.

The Pipeline: With some 100 companies reportedly eyeing the Abha concession, Gaca is already prepping Taif, Qassim, and Hail airports as the next assets to hit the block.

German lender doubles down on Moroccan rail

Germany’s KfW is providing EUR 200 mn to help the country build a logistics and mobility platform in Casablanca-Settat. This is the second major rail-focused tranche from the German lender since August (following a EUR 202 mn facility) and matches the World Bank’s USD 350 mn backing to the sector. The capital — part of a wider EUR 450 mn German package — is aimed squarely at the country’s biggest logistics headache: expanding rail capacity to move goods through the congested Casablanca-Settat industrial corridor.

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