RIYADH: Saudi state-owned aviation management firm Matarat Holding Co. has inked a three-year contract with consulting company Egis to serve 26 airports in Saudi Arabia, as the Kingdom pushes to develop a global aviation hub in line with the goals outlined in Vision 2030. The contract was signed by Matarat’s CEO Mohammed Almaghlouth and Egis’ CEO in the Middle East and South Asia, Alaa AbuSiam, according to a press release. The three-year contract aims to establish phased project management portals, update airport project management policies and procedures, and provide technical support for planning and designing. The deal involved following up on the implementation of capital projects with Matarat subsidiaries including Riyadh Airports Co., Jeddah Airports, Dammam Airports, and Cluster2. “This contract focuses on providing support in several major areas and activities, which include strategic planning for projects, building an asset management guide, preparing a unified guide for engineering specifications for designing and implementing projects, and following up on continuous improvement of their performance,” said Turki Almubadal, executive vice president of Projects and Technical Affairs at Matarat. He added that the signing of this contract will help the Kingdom achieve its National Aviation Strategy which aims to increase international destinations to 250 and passenger capacity to 330 million by 2030. “We are extremely delighted to be partnering with Matarat to be part of one of the most transformative projects in the Middle East region. The Kingdom’s strong commitment to the aviation sector as part of its 2030 Vision, will surely transform the country into a global hub connecting Asia, Europe and Africa,” said AbuSiam. Formerly known as Saudi Civil Aviation Holding Co., Matarat Holding Co. was established in 2013 by Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Civil Aviation. The company aims to develop the Kingdom’s airports and improve their performance, along with contributing to Saudi Arabia’s sustainable development process in the aviation sector.