RIYADH: Singapore's biggest ground handler at Changi Airport, SATS, is investing about SR108 million to build new air cargo facilities at King Fahd International Airport (KFIA) in Dammam. The move is part of an ambitious plan to expand SATS reach in the Asia Pacific and Middle East, said top Singapore officials while speaking to Arab News in Singapore recently.
Vivian Balakrishnan, Singapore foreign minister, spoke about the growing relations between Singapore and Saudi Arabia on the one hand and Singapore and the Middle East as a bloc on the other. He also touched several regional issues that have hampered all efforts to restore peace and security in the Middle East region.
Spelling out the details of the KFIA cargo project, Koh Poh Koon, minister of state for development, trade and industry, said that the investment in Dammam is SATS' biggest greenfield project in its air cargo business. Granted to its subsidiary SATS Saudi Arabia, the cargo handling concession is valid for 22.5 years and SATS will build a new 20,000 sqm cargo terminal near the airport.
SATS Ltd., commonly abbreviated as SATS is the chief ground-handling and in-flight catering service provider at Singapore Changi Airport. SATS controls about 80 percent of the Changi airport's ground handling and catering business in Singapore.
Referring to another contract in which Changi Airport International (CAI) has been mandated to operate KFIA, Koon said that Singapore companies are active and prominent players in the transport and logistics industry in Saudi Arabia. “In fact, CAI was awarded accolades in their 8 years running the King Fahd International Airport (KFIA),” he added. The collaboration saw KFIA served by 36 airlines to 65 cities as of today.
In 2013, KFIA was ranked among the top 10 busiest airports in the Gulf region by passenger volume. To this end, he noted that “the KFIA extended CAI’s management of the airport until the first quarter of 2017.” This is in addition to the presence of several companies in Singapore including Saudi Aramco. A report emailed to Arab News by Singapore government said that Saudi Aramco has a sizable presence in Singapore, providing regional coverage to the Indian sub-continent and Southeast Asia.
“Established in Singapore since 1989, Aramco has been working with Singapore companies to invest in supply chain expertise and both upstream and downstream technology and services,” added the report. On trade front also, the two countries have reported growth. Singapore’s total trade with the Middle East was $32.3 billion in 2015, dominated by trade with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries ($29.3 billion in 2015).
“Our top three trading partners in the Middle East are the United Arab Emirates ($13.1 billion), Saudi Arabia ($8.8 billion) and Qatar ($3.8 billion),” said the report. On the top of this, Singapore-GCC Free Trade Agreement entered into force in 2013. This agreement will further boost trade and investment relations between the GCC and Singapore, a country which has also launched integrated roadmaps to drive industry transformation.
“To achieve maximum synergies in our industry transformation over the next few years, the Singapore government has a multibillion dollar Industry Transformation Program in budget 2016,” the report said. The program will integrate different restructuring efforts, taking a targeted and industry-focused approach to address issues and deepen partnerships between government, firms, industries and trade associations.
Top Singapore firm investing SR108m in Dammam airport
Top Singapore firm investing SR108m in Dammam airport
New Murabba seeks contractors for Mukaab Towers fit-outs: MEED
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s New Murabba Development Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund, has issued a request for information to gauge the market for modular and offsite fit-out solutions for its flagship Mukaab development, MEED reported on Wednesday.
The RFI was released on Jan. 26, with submissions due by Feb. 11. NMDC has also scheduled a market engagement meeting during the first week of February to discuss potential solutions with prospective contractors.
Sources close to the project told MEED that NMDC is “seeking experienced suppliers and contractors to advise on the feasibility, constraints, and execution strategy for using non-load-bearing modular systems for the four corner towers framing the Mukaab structure.” The feedback gathered from these discussions will be incorporated into later design and procurement decisions.
The four towers — two residential (North and South) and two mixed-use (East and West) — are integral to the Mukaab’s architectural layout. Each tower is expected to rise approximately 375 meters and span over 80 stories. Key modular elements under consideration include bathroom pods, kitchen pods, dressing room modules, panelized steel partition systems, and other offsite-manufactured fit-out solutions.
Early works on the Mukaab were completed last year, with NMDC preparing to award the estimated $1 billion contract for the main raft works. This was highlighted in a presentation by NMDC’s chief project delivery officer on Sept. 9, 2025, during the Future Projects Forum in Riyadh.
Earlier this month, US-based Parsons Corp. was awarded a contract by NMDC to provide design and construction technical support. Parsons will act as the lead design consultant for infrastructure, delivering services covering public buildings, infrastructure, landscaping, and the public realm at New Murabba. The firm will also support the development of the project’s downtown experience, which spans 14 million sq. meters of residential, workplace, and entertainment space.
The Parsons contract follows NMDC’s October 2025 agreements with three other US-based engineering firms for design work across the development. New York-headquartered Kohn Pedersen Fox was appointed to lead early design for the first residential community, while Aecom and Jacobs were selected as lead design consultants for the Mukaab district.
In August 2025, NMDC signed a memorandum of understanding with Falcons Creative Group, another US-based firm, to develop the creative vision and immersive experiences for the Mukaab project. Meanwhile, Beijing-based China Harbour Engineering Co. completed the excavation works for the Mukaab, and UAE-headquartered HSSG Foundation Contracting executed the foundation works.
