Aleppo International Airport Development

Project Overview

The project is a long-term investment and development agreement for Aleppo International Airport between the Syrian General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport and a Saudi investment consortium led by the BinDawood Group through the Elaf Investment Fund. It covers operating and upgrading the existing airport during the development phase and building a new international airport with a capacity of up to 12 million passengers a year, to be implemented in phases. The agreement also includes financing an integrated navigation radar system covering Syrian airspace.

The agreement was signed on 7 February 2026, one of a set of Syrian-Saudi contracts announced at the People's Palace in Damascus in the presence of President Ahmad al-Sharaa, covering aviation, telecommunications, infrastructure, water and real estate development. Saudi Minister of Investment Khalid Al-Falih said that day that the Kingdom would invest SAR 7.5 billion (about USD 2 billion) to develop the two airports in Aleppo. Arab News reported that the agreement is the Elaf Investment Fund's first investment.

Implementation Phases

Aleppo Governor Azzam al-Gharib set out the phases on the day of signing.

Phase One: Development of the Existing Airport

• Improving the existing facilities, including the runways and terminals.
• Under the agreement, as reported by Arab News, the current airport keeps operating and is upgraded during the development phase.
• Raising the existing airport's capacity to about 2 million passengers a year, according to the governor. In September 2026 the civil aviation authority put the target at more than 2 million passengers a year.

Phase Two: New Airport with 6 Million Passengers per Year

• Building a completely new international airport, which the head of the civil aviation authority, Omar al-Husari, describes as built to the latest international standards.
• The targeted capacity at this stage is about 6 million passengers a year.
• According to the governor, the architectural design of the new airport is to draw on Aleppo's history and civilisation.

Phase Three: Expansion to 12 Million Passengers per Year

• Expanding the new airport to a capacity of 12 million passengers a year, with a flexible plan for future expansion.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the investor in the project?
The Saudi Elaf Investment Fund, led by BinDawood, is the party that signed the agreement with the General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport to develop and operate Aleppo International Airport.

What is the planned passenger capacity?
The civil aviation authority aims to raise the existing airport's capacity to more than 2 million passengers a year. The new airport is planned for about 6 million passengers a year, rising to 12 million.

How many phases does the project have?
Three phases, as set out by the Governor of Aleppo: development of the existing airport, construction of a new airport for 6 million passengers per year, and expansion to 12 million passengers per year.

How does the project relate to the wider Saudi investment in Syria?
It was signed on 7 February 2026 as one of a set of Syrian-Saudi contracts covering aviation, telecommunications, infrastructure, water and real estate development. Saudi Minister of Investment Khalid Al-Falih put the Saudi investment in developing the two airports in Aleppo at SAR 7.5 billion (about USD 2 billion).

Update: 11 June 2026

According to SANA on 10 June 2026, Amjad Nakhal, assistant head of the General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport, met a delegation from BinDawood Investment Company led by board member Walid BinDawood to discuss the next executive steps of the project. The two sides carried out a tour of Aleppo International Airport with representatives of a design company taking part, as part of following up the agreement signed between the Authority and the Saudi Elaf Investment Fund (BinDawood Investment Company).

On 11 June 2026, also according to SANA, the Authority's head Omar al-Husari received a BinDawood Group delegation led by Ahmed BinDawood at the Authority's building in Damascus, where the two sides reviewed the next executive steps and the coordination mechanisms among the parties concerned. Al-Husari said the agreement covers developing and operating Aleppo International Airport and building a new international airport in Aleppo. The same report refers to an earlier meeting in April 2026 between al-Husari and Saudi Assistant Minister of Investment Abdullah bin Ali al-Dubaikhi on the executive procedures and the project timeline. No start date for construction works had been announced as of this update.

Update: 11 September 2026

The General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport announced on 11 September 2026 that development works at the existing Aleppo International Airport are due to start in early 2027. The aim is to raise its capacity to more than 2 million passengers a year and improve its operational, technical and service efficiency, in parallel with completing the structuring of the new airport project, as reported by SANA, Al-Ikhbariah and Al-Thawra.

The announcement followed meetings and workshops held in Jeddah from 7 to 10 September 2026 between an Authority delegation led by its head Omar al-Husari and representatives of the Elaf Investment Fund, led by BinDawood Investment Company. Mohsen Mahbash, Syria's chargé d'affaires in Saudi Arabia, took part in the meetings on 9 and 10 September. The two sides agreed on the timetable for the next stage and reviewed the legal, technical, commercial and financing aspects of the project, as well as financing formulas for acquiring modern aircraft for Syrian Airlines.

According to the Authority, field surveys and technical and preliminary studies are under way to define the development requirements, while improvements at the airport continue within current capabilities, including operational readiness, facilities and services, and attracting new airlines. SANA reported that the airport handled 696 flights and 81,810 passengers in August 2026, with 14 airlines operating there.

According to Arab News on 15 September 2026, a joint statement by the Authority and the fund said that work on the new airport's business plan, financial model and bankability study was well advanced and being reviewed by both sides, and that talks with international lenders had started. Abdulrazzaq BinDawood chairs both the fund and BinDawood Investment Company.

Update: Steps at the existing airport, February to 24 September 2026

The following steps, reported by Shaam Network and Logistics Window between February and September 2026, concern the existing airport and coordination around the project. The first two predate the June 2026 update.

• 9 February 2026. Omar al-Husari, head of the General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport, thanked the Turkish side, represented by the General Directorate of State Airports Authority (DHMI), for providing Aleppo International Airport with ILS and DVOR ground navigation systems, and said technical work to install them had started.
• 3 March 2026. After reviewing regional developments, the Authority announced that it would reopen the northern air corridors and resume operations at Aleppo International Airport from 4 March 2026, while the other corridors and Damascus International Airport stayed closed until further notice.
• 13 and 14 September 2026. Logistics Window reported on 13 September that al-Husari, accompanied by his assistant Amjad Nakhal, met Aleppo Governor Azzam al-Gharib at the governorate building, where they went over the phases of the airport development project and the preparations for carrying it out. On 14 September it reported that al-Husari and the governor discussed at the governorate building, with Nakhal and representatives of the chambers of commerce, industry and tourism present, what the economic and tourism sectors need from air transport services.
• 24 September 2026. The Authority finished calibrating and flight-testing the modern navigation systems at Aleppo International Airport and put them into service. With them, the airport can operate 24 hours a day, including in bad weather and when visibility is low.