Saudi Arabia’s Matarat Holding—which leads the development and privatization of the country’s airports—has launched the expression of interest (EOI) stage for the development of a public-private partnership (PPP) project for Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz International Airport (ELQ).

In a market that offers huge PPP potential, Matarat, in collaboration with the National Center for Privatization & PPP (NCP), is inviting bids from local, regional, and international private sector participants for a contract term of 30 years, including the construction phase. The EOI has been launched under the supervision of the Supervisory Committee for Privatization in the Transport and Logistics Services Sector.

Investors can visit the NCP website at this link for more information about the details and scope of the project and to request the EOI document. Interested parties have a deadline for submission of February 23, 2026, at 11:59 pm KSA time.​

President of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) and Matarat’s Chairman, Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Duailej, stated that the EOI for the airport in the center of the country, northwest of Riyadh, “reflects the civil aviation system’s commitment to empowering and engaging the private sector, while fostering high-value investment partnerships in the airport sector.”

The GACA President emphasized that this step would help enhance infrastructure development, improve operational efficiency, and elevate the quality of services provided to travelers in Saudi Arabia.

Building Regional Airport Competitiveness

The development project of Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz Airport in the Al Qassim province is a strategic initiative that supports the objectives of the aviation program stemming from the National Transport and Logistics Strategy. The PPP underscores Saudi Arabia's keen focus on attracting both local and international investments to the country’s aviation ecosystem.

Saudi Arabia is also strengthening the competitiveness of regional airports, such as ELQ, to advance economic and tourism growth across KSA, in line with the goals of Vision 2030. Another aim is to strengthen the country’s position among leading nations as a global logistics hub connecting three continents.

ELQ’s development and operation will cover design, financing, construction, transfer, operations, and maintenance. The project site is located 25 kilometers from Buraidah in the Qassim region, and the proposed scope includes a fully equipped passenger terminal to accommodate the airport's expected demand, along with supporting service facilities and the development of airside infrastructure, including runway, taxiways, and aprons.

Once ready, the redeveloped airport will create additional capacity to handle a projected increase in annual traffic, playing a key role in enabling Saudi Arabia’s continuing economic transformation and helping to boost the country’s stature as a destination for business and tourism.​

Saudi Arabia has recently suspended or scaled back several major projects, including the Mukaab in Riyadh, a cube-shaped skyscraper, the futuristic Neom megacity, and the flagship linear metropolis, The Line, as well as various luxury resorts along the Red Sea. The decisions have been made due to low oil prices and financial reassessments. This reflects a broader trend of re-evaluating ambitious initiatives under the Vision 2030 strategy.

The kingdom’s sovereign wealth manager, the Public Investment Fund, seems to be pivoting away from mega-projects, but remains committed to industries such as transport, logistics, and tourism—key to which are airports.