TRSDC appoints daa International to operate Red Sea airport

Signing of the agreement

The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC) appointed daa International as the operator of the Red Sea project’s international airport, according to a statement.

daa International will provide airfield and terminal operations, aviation services, facilities management and commercial activities, as well as corporate and financial services.

In addition, it will manage the operations of the airport during three separate stages. Stage one will involve ensuring that all airport designs benefit the customer. Stage two will cover planning a full and seamless operational model for the airport when it opens to the public. The final stage will be to manage and operate this plan, maintaining the highest standards in customer experience and sustainability, and prioritizing safety and security.

The Red Sea airport can be accessed by 80% of the world’s population in less than eight hours and is set to serve one million passengers annually by the project’s completion in 2030, with a peak capacity of 900 passengers per hour.

The statement added that visitor numbers will be limited to one million, based on the environmental carrying capacity of the destination.

In February 2019, TRSDC announced commencing the construction of phase one in its project.

Upon completion of all phases, 22 out of more than 90 islands will be developed, while more than 70,000 job opportunities will be provided. The project will also play a key role in pushing the Kingdom's economic diversification drive, through attracting about one million visitors annually and contributing with SAR 22 billion to the Saudi GDP.

A joint venture between Saudi-based Nesma & Partners Contracting Co. Ltd and Almabani General Contractors won the airside infrastructure works contract for the Red Sea airport.