A joint venture led by Turkey's TAV Construction has won a contract to build a $800 million aircraft maintenance, repair and operation (MRO) facility in Saudi Arabia.

The contract for the facility at the King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA) in Jeddah was awarded by Saudia Aerospace Engineering Industries (SAEI) to the  TAV Construction- Al Rajhi Holding - Al Habtoor Leighton Joint Venture.

The scope of phase 1 works includes the design and building of 11 aircraft maintenance hangars, ancillary buildings, an administration building, closed carpark and aircraft parking aprons, said a statement.

Phase 1 works will be completed in 900 days, it said.

SAEI Aircraft Maintenance Hangars will be one of the largest MRO facilities in the region.  It is designed to meet the MRO business needs for the next 20 years of operation. Design of the facility will allow phased construction to accommodate future capacity expansion requirements, it said.

The complex will include: Heavy maintenance hangars; Line maintenance hangars; paint hangars; wash hangars; aircraft maintenance shops; aircraft component maintenance shops; warehouse (supply chain); administration; mosque; fire protection tanks and house; ground service maintenance building; surface parking; parking structure; roads; aprons; taxiways and external works.

“TAV entered the GCC market with an aircraft hangar project in 2004 and since then we have undertaken major airport developments in the region and today we celebrate the award of the Saudia Aerospace Engineering Industries (SAEI) Aircraft Maintenance Hangars Project at the Jeddah King Abdulaziz International Airport,' said Yusuf Akcayoglu, Gulf regional director, TAV Construction.

'We have joined forces with Al Rajhi Holding, our strategic partner in the kingdom, and Habtoor Leighton Group, a leading contracting group, to establish the winning team. Our teams have put in tremendous effort at tendering stage of this project. We are delighted that our proposal was selected as the most acceptable one,' said Akcayoglu.

'This project will be another cornerstone in our Saudi Arabia operations that we commenced only two years ago,' he said.

Last year the Tibah Consortium of TAV Airports Holding-Al Rajhi Holding-Saudi Oger, won the PPP tender to build the expansion project of the Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah.  - TradeArabia News Service