Redevelopment of Beirut's Rafik Hariri Airport costed at $200 million

The design and engineering consulting firm Dar Al-Handasah has pitched the recently embattled Prime Minister of Lebanon with a $200 million redevelopment proposal for Beirut’s Rafik Hariri Airport.

Dar Al-Handasah (Shair and Partners), the Lebanese design and engineering arm of global professional services consortium Dar Group, has met with the Prime Minister of Lebanon, Saad Hariri, to discuss an estimated $200 million proposed revamp of the capital’s Rafik Hariri Airport, with upgrades to various land-side infrastructure designed to cater to an increased ultimate volume of 10 million passengers per year.

Originally built to service 4-5 million annual passengers, the two-phase project would initially see renovations to the existing airport increase capacity to 8 million visitors, while an additional wing and the reequipped customs and cargo areas proposed for the second stage would push the number up to 10 million. In conjunction with the expansion, and in an effort to enhance efficiency, upgrades to the airport’s baggage handling and security-check systems have also been proposed, along with a terminal redesign to accommodate additional travel retail outlets. 

Founded in 1956, with its headquarters in Beirut, the Dar Group has grown into an international consulting network with 18,000 employees assisting clients in over 100 countries on planning, design, engineering and project management across numerous sectors, including transportation, telecommunications, oil & gas, environment, and civic and commercial constructions such as stadiums, universities and health centres. Along with Beirut, the firm has further principal MENA offices in Cairo and Amman.

The consulting firm’s prior airport projects in the Middle East and North African region include the construction of a new passenger terminal building at the King Abdul Aziz International Airport of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and upgrades and expansions of multiple concourses for Dubai International Airport – the world’s third busiest by passenger numbers and sixth for total cargo.

In addition to the aviation sector, the firm has also, among other notable achievements; provided support for the extensive Suez Canal Area development project in Egypt, which is projected to  create one million new jobs over the next 15 years; helped build the world’s largest all-women university in Saudi Arabia (the Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University of Riyadh) with 60,000 undergraduates in attendance, and; was awarded the design tender for the 70,000-capacity Al Bayt stadium being built in Qatar in time for the nation’s hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

With respect to the proposed upgrade for Rafik Hariri Airport, Lebanon’s recently returned Prime Minister Hariri has said that the floated redevelopment plans are not as yet final, but the current discussions will contribute to future preparedness. "These projects may not be available today, they are plans for future implementations,” the Prime Minister said.

Elsewhere in the MENA region, readiness testing is underway for the new Muscat Airport of Oman, developed in conjunction with German design and management airport consultancy Munich Airport International.