Six foreign companies have joined forces to form a consortium bidding to develop Baghdad International Airport, part of Iraq’s wider plan to rehabilitate and expand its logistics sector.
Prime Minister Mohammed Al-Sudani met with representatives of the consortium in Baghdad on Thursday, alongside officials from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), which is spearheading the project as lead transaction advisor under a September 2023 agreement.
According to Sudani’s office, the consortium includes global firms, though their names were not disclosed. The IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is also planning to hold a conference in Baghdad on its projects in Iraq.
The proposed project—estimated at $400–600 million—will be fully financed by the selected operator without state funding. Its scope includes:
Construction of new passenger terminals with an initial annual capacity of 9 million passengers, expandable to 15 million.
Modernisation of airfield, safety and HVAC systems, and upgrades to internal transport networks.
Operation and rehabilitation of the airport under a revenue-sharing model, with the operator paying a percentage of gross revenues to the government.
Under the PPP framework, the Iraqi government will retain control over customs, passport control, airspace management, VIP terminals, and fuel storage, while the selected operator will oversee terminal operations, security screening, cargo logistics, and development of adjacent land.
Earlier this year, the IFC outlined three potential options: expanding the existing airport, constructing a new one, or a combination of both.
The announcement comes just months ahead of Iraq’s parliamentary elections, scheduled for November 11.
Source: agbi.com
