Saudi Arabia has opened a new chapter in its aviation liberalization drive by inviting private sector partners to redevelop Prince Naif Bin Abdulaziz International Airport, the gateway to the central Qassim region. The project, structured as a long term public private partnership, is designed to modernize the airport’s infrastructure, expand capacity and strengthen Qassim’s role in the Kingdom’s fast evolving aviation and tourism networks under Vision 2030.
New call for investors at Qassim’s main gateway
MATARAT Holding, the state owned company responsible for managing Saudi airports, has launched an Expression of Interest phase for the redevelopment of Prince Naif Bin Abdulaziz International Airport, working jointly with the National Centre for Privatisation and Public Private Partnerships. According to the official announcement, private partners are being sought to design, finance, construct, operate and maintain an expanded airport complex serving the growing needs of Qassim residents, businesses and visitors.
The planned contract will adopt a Build Transfer Operate structure, with a concession period of around 30 years. Under this model, the private consortium will be responsible for delivering a modern terminal and associated facilities, transferring ownership of the fixed assets to the state on completion while retaining the right to operate and commercially develop the airport for the duration of the agreement. This approach mirrors the structure already used at other flagship Saudi airports, notably Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah, which is widely cited in the region as a pioneering private partnership.
The scope of the Qassim project is broad. Authorities have indicated that it will include a fully equipped passenger terminal calibrated to meet forecast demand, together with new or upgraded support infrastructure such as car parks, auxiliary buildings and utility systems. Airside works are also central to the package, with redevelopment of the runway, taxiways and aprons intended to improve safety, increase operational resilience and accommodate a wider mix of aircraft types.
While the estimated investment value and final passenger capacity targets have not yet been disclosed, industry observers expect a significant uplift from the airport’s current role as a primarily domestic hub. Past plans for Qassim, including earlier public private partnership concessions awarded for development of regional airports, have referenced design capacities of more than five million passengers annually, indicating the scale of ambition that may again be under consideration.
Airport privatization gathers pace under Vision 2030
The invitation to investors for Prince Naif Bin Abdulaziz International Airport comes as Saudi Arabia accelerates a wide ranging privatization and partnership program in the aviation sector. The General Authority of Civil Aviation has repeatedly highlighted airports and air transport infrastructure as priority assets for private capital, expertise and innovation, building on a track record that began with the Madinah airport concession more than a decade ago.
In late 2025, GACA’s president Abdulaziz Al Duailej confirmed that Abha, Taif, Qassim and Hail airports would all be opened to private participation, with Abha targeted as the first in the new wave of projects. The announcement, delivered at the national Supply Chain and Logistics Conference in Riyadh, underlined the government’s determination to replicate successful models from earlier partnerships and scale them across the Kingdom’s secondary and regional hubs.
Airport corporatization and privatization are central to the National Transport and Logistics Strategy and to Saudi Vision 2030’s objective of transforming the Kingdom into a global logistics and travel hub. Control of the country’s airports has been consolidated under MATARAT Holding, part of the Public Investment Fund portfolio, to support a more commercial operating culture and prepare assets for structured partnerships with both domestic and international investors.
Several airports have already moved ahead under public private partnership models. Consortia led by international airport specialists and Saudi investment groups have been selected to develop and operate facilities in cities such as Taif, Yanbu and Hail, typically under 25 to 30 year concessions. These projects provide a template for Qassim, combining performance based contracts, risk sharing and clear regulatory oversight by GACA to deliver long term improvements in capacity, service levels and financial sustainability.
Prince Naif Bin Abdulaziz International Airport’s strategic role in Qassim
Prince Naif Bin Abdulaziz International Airport serves the city of Buraidah and the wider Qassim region, a fertile agricultural heartland in the center of the Kingdom. Historically, Qassim has been known more for farming, commerce and heritage than for tourism, but its geographic position gives it natural potential as a regional air transport node linking central Saudi Arabia with both domestic destinations and key points across the Gulf and wider Middle East.
In recent years, scheduled carriers have steadily expanded their presence at Qassim. Saudia and flynas operate domestic links connecting the region to Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam, while foreign airlines have begun to recognize the market’s potential. Etihad Airways, for example, inaugurated its first flights between Abu Dhabi and Al Qassim in mid 2024, operating several non stop services each week and adding the city as its fourth destination in Saudi Arabia. The move reflected rising commercial and leisure traffic from the central region and demonstrated the appeal of Qassim as part of broader hub and spoke networks.
Despite these gains, the airport’s existing infrastructure is under pressure from growing demand and evolving passenger expectations. Terminal facilities, landside access and airside systems were originally designed for a more limited role, and industry analysts note that modernization is needed to support seamless connections, international standards of passenger experience and the digital systems that underpin contemporary airport operations. The new partnership initiative is therefore seen as both an economic opportunity and an operational necessity.
For the Qassim region, an upgraded international airport is also a platform for broader development. Enhanced connectivity can support export of high value agricultural products, encourage investment in light industry and logistics, and attract a new wave of visitors to heritage sites, desert landscapes and cultural festivals. By positioning the airport as a modern, efficient gateway, local authorities aim to better integrate Qassim with national growth corridors and tourism routes that have so far focused on coastal and Red Sea destinations.
Strengthening tourism networks in Saudi Arabia’s heartland
The redevelopment of Prince Naif Bin Abdulaziz International Airport is emerging at a time when Saudi Arabia is placing unprecedented focus on tourism as a pillar of its post oil economy. The Kingdom’s national tourism strategy, closely aligned with Vision 2030, sets ambitious targets for international and domestic visitors, supported by large scale investments in destinations ranging from the Red Sea coast and the futuristic NEOM project to the heritage sites of AlUla and Diriyah.
Central to this vision is the Air Connectivity Program, a government initiative launched in 2021 to stimulate new international air routes, attract foreign carriers and improve access to emerging tourism clusters. The program has already helped to facilitate dozens of new routes and introduce a significant number of new airlines to the Saudi market, demonstrating how coordinated aviation policy can catalyze tourism growth. Upgraded regional airports such as Qassim are expected to be natural beneficiaries and enablers of this strategy, providing additional entry points for visitors beyond the traditional hubs.
For Qassim, enhancing aviation capacity dovetails with efforts to showcase the region’s under explored attractions. The area boasts historic towns, traditional markets, date farms and seasonal festivals that appeal to domestic tourists and could increasingly interest international travelers seeking authentic cultural experiences. Improved flight connectivity, supported by a modernized airport, would enable tour operators and destination management companies to package Qassim into multi stop itineraries that also include Madinah, Riyadh or the northern regions.
Tourism planners also see potential for Qassim to grow as a center for weekend and short break trips from neighboring Gulf countries, leveraging its cooler winter climate, family friendly environment and traditional hospitality. A greater choice of direct and connecting flights, combined with streamlined airport processes and high quality passenger services, can make the region more competitive in attracting this high value segment.
From Madinah to Qassim: replicating successful PPP models
Saudi policymakers frequently point to Madinah’s Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport as a reference case for what private participation can achieve. Developed under a Build Transfer Operate model by a consortium that included international airport specialists and Saudi partners, the airport underwent a major expansion that significantly increased capacity and improved the passenger experience, particularly for the millions of religious visitors who transit through Madinah each year.
The Madinah project demonstrated that carefully structured public private partnerships can mobilize large scale financing, accelerate project delivery and embed international best practices in design, construction and operations. It also highlighted the importance of a clear regulatory framework and effective oversight by GACA to balance investor returns with service quality and safety obligations. These lessons are informing the next generation of PPPs across the Kingdom, including at Qassim’s principal airport.
In earlier waves of regional airport concessions, consortia featuring Turkey’s TAV Airports and Saudi Arabia’s Al Rajhi Holding were selected to develop and operate facilities in Qassim, Hail and Yanbu, while another grouping led by Munich Airport worked on Taif. The structures used in those deals, which combined long term build operate transfer contracts with performance commitments and phased capacity expansions, are likely to inform the current call for investors and the detailed tender documents that will follow the Expression of Interest stage.
By anchoring Prince Naif Bin Abdulaziz International Airport in a tested PPP framework, Saudi authorities aim to ensure that the project delivers both immediate upgrades and a sustainable pathway for operations and maintenance over the coming decades. Investors, in turn, gain access to a growing regional market backed by strong state support for aviation and tourism, as well as a regulatory environment that is increasingly aligned with international norms.
What the redevelopment means for travelers and airlines
For travelers, the planned redevelopment of Qassim’s main airport promises a step change in comfort, convenience and choice. A new or expanded passenger terminal is expected to incorporate contemporary design standards, including more spacious departure and arrival halls, improved security and immigration processing, and a wider range of retail and dining outlets. Digital enhancements, such as self service check in kiosks, automated baggage handling and potentially biometric gates, are likely to feature as Saudi airports embrace smart technologies to streamline passenger journeys.
Enhanced airside infrastructure will also contribute directly to the traveler experience by enabling more reliable operations, reducing congestion and accommodating additional flights at peak times. A modernized runway and taxiway system, along with expanded apron space, can support a broader mix of aircraft types, from narrow body jets serving regional routes to larger planes operating seasonal or charter services. This flexibility is especially important as airlines adjust capacity in response to fluctuations in religious travel, leisure demand and business activity.
For carriers, Qassim’s redevelopment creates opportunities to open new point to point services or integrate the destination more effectively into wider route networks. Gulf and regional airlines may view a modernized Prince Naif Bin Abdulaziz International Airport as an attractive spoke feeding their hubs, while low cost carriers could target the region’s sizeable population and growing middle class with competitively priced services. Domestic airlines, meanwhile, gain additional capacity to reinforce Qassim’s links with national economic centers and tourism hotspots.
Improved ground access, parking and public transport links associated with the airport project are also likely to make it easier for residents across the Qassim region to choose air travel over long distance driving for both domestic and international journeys. This modal shift can support broader road safety and environmental objectives, particularly as Saudi Arabia pursues energy transition and sustainability goals within its transport sector.
Economic ripple effects across Qassim and beyond
Beyond aviation and tourism, the redevelopment of Prince Naif Bin Abdulaziz International Airport is expected to generate wide ranging economic benefits. Construction activity alone will support jobs in engineering, contracting and materials supply, while the long term operation of a larger, more complex airport will require expanded workforces in areas such as ground handling, security, retail, hospitality and facilities management.
GACA’s broader aviation strategy anticipates hundreds of thousands of new direct and indirect jobs in the sector by the end of this decade, with regional airports playing an important role in spreading opportunities beyond the major metropolitan centers. In Qassim, this can help retain talent, encourage young people to pursue aviation related careers and stimulate ancillary industries, from catering and logistics to training and technical services.
Enhanced connectivity often acts as a magnet for investment. Companies in logistics, agro processing, light manufacturing and services may find Qassim more attractive as a base if they can rely on frequent, reliable air links to domestic and international markets. Business parks and logistics zones near the airport could emerge or expand, taking advantage of efficient cargo handling and the ability to move executives and specialists quickly and conveniently.
At the same time, the project reinforces Saudi Arabia’s message to global investors that the Kingdom is committed to partnership based infrastructure development. As more airports move into private participation frameworks, international financiers and operators gain greater familiarity with Saudi regulatory and commercial conditions, which can in turn lower perceived risk and support more competitive bids in subsequent rounds, including in sectors beyond aviation.
Next steps and the road ahead for Qassim’s aviation hub
The Expression of Interest period for the Prince Naif Bin Abdulaziz International Airport project is now open, with potential bidders invited to register their interest and demonstrate technical and financial capabilities. Authorities have set a deadline in late February 2026 for submissions, after which they are expected to shortlist qualified consortia and move towards issuing a formal request for proposals. This multi stage process is designed to ensure robust competition and allow investors time to refine designs and financing structures.
While the precise construction timeline has not yet been announced, comparable airport PPP projects in Saudi Arabia suggest that once contracts reach financial close, major works can take several years to complete, often delivered in phases to minimize disruption to ongoing operations. During this period, existing services at Qassim will continue, with gradual integration of new facilities as they come online.
For residents and businesses in the Qassim region, the redevelopment of their principal airport signals a future in which air travel is more accessible, comfortable and globally connected. For Saudi Arabia’s aviation policymakers, it represents another step toward the overarching goal of handling hundreds of millions of passengers annually, linking the Kingdom to hundreds of destinations worldwide and embedding aviation and tourism at the core of national development.
As private sector partners prepare their proposals and government agencies refine the project’s technical and regulatory frameworks, attention will increasingly turn to how the upgraded Prince Naif Bin Abdulaziz International Airport will reshape travel patterns, investment flows and tourism itineraries in Saudi Arabia’s center. The outcome will help determine not only Qassim’s place on the aviation map, but also the broader success of the Kingdom’s strategy to marry infrastructure modernization with sustainable economic and social transformation.