KUWAIT CITY, May 20: The Fatwa and Legislation Department has given approval to the Directorate- General of Civil Aviation to proceed with the bid for the new Kuwait Air Cargo City project, reports Al- Qabas daily. This project aims to design, construct, manage, operate, maintain, renovate, and develop facilities for cargo handling, storage, and distribution services at Kuwait International Airport. The legal opinion provided affirmed that the General Administration of Civil Aviation has the discretion to offer the Cargo City project in line with Ministry of Finance Circular No. 1 of 2023 regarding government auctions.

It was emphasized that the Administration’s request fulfilled all necessary legal procedures, hence the Ministry of Finance is urged to proceed with bidding procedures accordingly. The project, located west of Kuwait International Airport, includes various components such as designing shipping, storage, distribution, and logistics buildings, as well as parking lots and offices. The project also involves financing the construction and equipment, managing operations, comprehensive maintenance, and development to compete globally in terms of strategy and service.

Moreover, it aims to train and qualify Kuwaiti nationals to manage and operate the Cargo City. The bidding process is expected to be limited to specialized international companies, considering the project’s strategic importance. The bidding period is set at 20 years, during which the selected global operator will explore investment opportunities at the airport to maximize financial returns for the General Administration of Civil Aviation.

Several investment projects are envisaged within the new air cargo city, including maintenance and repair areas, shipping buildings, immediate shipping buildings, government facilities, customer offices, parking lots, railway, support service buildings, and multi-storey parking buildings. These projects aim to enhance air cargo traffic, establish value-added logistical services, and attract global logistics branches of multinational companies, thereby elevating Kuwait International Airport’s position as a major logistics center in the Middle East and North Africa region.