KARACHI: After Saudi Arabia and Qatar, United Arab Emirates (UAE) has shown keen interest in acquiring major Pakistani airports, deciding to send its high officials from General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) for the first time to Pakistan on June 24, 2024.

According to the details, a high-level delegation from the UAE’s GCAA is set to embark on a landmark 10-day visit to Pakistan, beginning June 24, 2024.

The two-member GCAA team will first visit Islamabad Airport on June 24, followed by Karachi Airport on July 2. During their stay, the delegation will hold meetings with various government departments, including the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA). Air Commodore (Retd) Shahid Qadir, Director Security PCAA, and his team will oversee security arrangements for the visitors.

This visit comes amidst Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to outsource airport operations under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. The PCAA has recently issued new guidelines for companies interested in the Islamabad Airport outsourcing project, under the Public-Private Partnership Act 2017.

Interested companies have until July 15 to submit their tenders, with application forms available for download from the PCAA website. This deadline represents a two-month extension from the original May 15 date, granted at the request of potential bidders.

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) team recently briefed Pakistani lawmakers on the progress of the outsourcing initiative, informing them that the project has garnered international attention, with companies from Qatar, UAE, Germany, Turkey, Netherlands, Malaysia, and local consortia expressing interest. The government aims to generate funds through the outsourcing of airport services, marking a significant step in Pakistan’s aviation sector reform and infrastructure development.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024