Hassan Allam Alliance Qualifies to Bid for Hurghada Airport, Also Targets Cairo

An alliance led by Egyptian construction group Hassan Allam has qualified to compete for the long-term management and operation of Hurghada International Airport, the Middle East Observer reported on 30 July, placing it among seven shortlisted bidders.

Amwal Al Ghad reported the same day that ten consortia had completed pre-qualification and that the Ministry of Civil Aviation was preparing to put the tender to market within days, after a delay the outlet attributed to regional developments. It said one qualified alliance is led by Hassan Allam Holding with foreign partners, alongside international airport-management specialists.

Hurghada is the first Egyptian airport offered under the programme, which Amwal Al Ghad said could eventually extend to as many as 20 airports. Egypt Independent reported in May that close to ten international and regional consortia — Egyptian and Arab investors paired with European airport operators — had filed pre-qualification papers, with the International Finance Corporation acting as strategic adviser.

Ayman Arab, chairman of the Holding Company for Airports, said the operator would be picked on service-quality measures — waiting times, ground services and flight management — rather than on financial value alone.

Al-Masry Al-Youm reported on 11 July that the ministry was finalising the tender with IFC support, in meetings involving Civil Aviation Minister Sameh El-Hefny, undersecretary Amr Negaty, airports holding company chairman Ayman Fawzy Arab and Egyptian Airports Company chairman Wael El-Nashar.

The group is also pursuing Cairo. The Middle East Observer said its proposal to manage and operate Cairo International Airport is under review by Cairo Airport Company and the Ministry of Civil Aviation, and that it has separately bid with Samsung C&T to build a planned Terminal 4 there.

None of the reports gave a contract length or an award date for Hurghada.