OMM Newsroom
A consortium including Türkiye’s Limak and Qatar’s HBK Contracting has won an international tender to build and operate a terminal at a new international airport in Bukhara, Uzbekistan. The project will be implemented under a 23-year public-private partnership, AnewZ reported.
Uzbekistan Airports confirmed that the consortium comprises Limak İnşaat Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. and Hamad Bin Khalid Contracting Company W.L.L. (HBK Contracting).
Terminal to serve 1,200 passengers per hour
Under the Build-Transfer-Operate (BTO) model, the consortium will build and operate a terminal capable of serving 1,200 passengers per hour. The project also includes developing the area in front of the terminal, parking facilities and related infrastructure.
The government will remain responsible for building and operating the airfield complex, including the runway and apron.
The parties are expected to sign a 23-year public-private partnership agreement, with the construction phase potentially lasting up to three years. Financial details of the winning bid, including total investment and revenue-sharing arrangements, have not been disclosed.
Project could be worth up to $300 million
Limak has experience developing and operating international airports, including in Pristina, Kosovo, and Dakar, Senegal. The company also took part in the construction and operation of Istanbul Airport and is currently building a new terminal at Kuwait International Airport.
HBK Contracting was the main contractor for Lusail Stadium, which hosted the final of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The Bukhara airport project was first presented to Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in May 2024. At the time, its initial cost was estimated at $226 million. Reports published earlier this month said the amount could rise to $300 million.
Construction is expected to be completed by autumn 2027. The plan also includes building an approximately 24-kilometer road connecting the new airport with central Bukhara.
On April 10, 2026, Mirziyoyev was presented with plans for the new international airport in Bukhara and other construction projects. The president said the new airport must fully meet international standards.
Earlier project plan relied on direct negotiations
In January 2024, Uzbekistan’s Cabinet of Ministers initially approved a plan to select Ark Port as the project’s private partner through direct negotiations, without holding a competitive tender.
Ark Port is wholly owned by Sanoat Energetika Guruhi Enera. Its group of companies includes Eriell Group, Enter Engineering and Saneg.
The group was reported to have faced financial difficulties earlier this year. The government had ordered it to sell non-core assets to repay debts owed to employees, the state budget and banks.
Bukhara International Airport served 574,000 passengers in 2025, with international flights accounting for most of the passenger traffic.
