Oman has signed up a consortium led by the British Airport Authority (BAA) to develop and manage the sultanate's two main airports, which are in the process of being privatized, the official ONA news agency said Monday, September 10.
The consortium also includes ABB Equity Ventures and the Omani Bahwan Trading Company, BTC chief Ahmad Bahwan told the press. It will develop and manage Seeb international airport in Muscat province as well the Salalah airport, some 1,000 kilometers (450 miles) south of the capital.
Oman's Transport Minister MalIk Bin Sulaiman Al-Maamari for his part said the consortium will keep 75 percent of the newly-created firm's capital for the management of the two airports. It will be charged with the management of the airports for 25 years beginning on January 1, 2002.
BAA, the world's largest firm airport specialist firm, manages seven airports in Britain and 12 others across the world. Oman is the first Gulf country moving toward privatizing its airports. — (AFP, Muscat)
© Agence France Presse 2001
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
