Sharjah International Airport has appointed Parsons to project manage a Dh1.5 billion expansion as it aims to handle 25 million passengers by 2027.
The US engineering consultancy will oversee designs, site preparation, supervision of the construction and the handover of the first phase of the project.
Its contract is worth Dh58 million.
An airport spokesman declined to say when contractors are likely to make a start on site, or how many construction phases are planned.
A statement from the airport said that the most important phase would involve expanding access roads to and from the airport, as well as adding new facilities that would "increase the abilities of the airport and develop its services significantly".
Ali Salim Al Midfa, the chairman of Sharjah Airport Authority, said the project would provide one of the most architecturally distinctive landmarks in the emirate.
Gary Adams, the Middle East and Africa president of Parsons Overseas, said that the project would “dramatically improve the current travel options to and from Sharjah, as well as promote economic growth and job creation within the emirate”.
An expansion of the airport has been on the cards for some years. In January 2014, the Sharjah Airport Authority signed a deal with Parsons’ competitor Bechtel to create a master plan for the expanded airport, a process that was due to take eight months to complete.
Since then, growth at Sharjah airport, which serves as the base for low-cost carrier Air Arabia, has been strong, with the number of passengers handled increasing from 8.5 million in 2013 to just over 11 million last year.
The progression of the airport provides a fillip to Sharjah’s economic prospects, as did the announcement on Tuesday that Omran Properties has been appointed to bring forward three property projects in the emirate with a combined value of Dh2.47bn.
Omran Properties is a joint venture between Sharjah's Investment and Development Authority, Shurooq, Emaar Properties and Abu Dhabi-based Eagle Hills formed in January last year.
It will now assume responsibility for the development of the Dh2.26bn Maryam Island project, a 364,000 square feet, mixed-use development between the lagoon at Al Khan Island and Al Mamzar peninsula. This will contain a retail area of about 18,561 sq metres as well as apartments, offices, hotels, a cinema and entertainment areas.
Omran Properties will also take charge of bringing forward the Dh120.6m Al Khan Village Resort project, a five-star hospitality resort designed in the style of a traditional fishing village, and it will develop the Dh106m, 11,206 sq metres Kalba Waterfront Mall being built at the new eco-tourism resort planned on Sharjah’s east coast.
Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, the chairwoman of Shurooq and of the board of Omran Properties, said the projects were “the first in a series of developments in different sectors that will play a crucial role in changing the investment and real estate sphere in Sharjah”.
Mohamed Alabbar, the chairman of Eagle Hills and Emaar Properties, said: “As Sharjah’s property sector grows, we see a progressive trend towards mid and high-end real estate, creating a more niche market that meets the requirements of discerning investors.”
mfahy@thenational.ae
Follow The National's Business section on Twitter
