UAE To Manage Islamabad Airport After Pakistan Approves Transfer

The Pakistan government has approved the transfer of management of Islamabad International Airport to the UAE.

Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar, deputy prime minister and foreign minister of Pakistan, chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Inter-Governmental Commercial Transactions (CCoIGCT) to deliberate transfer of operations of Islamabad airport to the UAE.

The meeting was attended by Tariq Bajwa, minister of petroleum and advisor on privatisation, special assistant to the prime minister, as well as federal secretaries and senior officials from relevant ministries.

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The committee decided to finalise arrangements with the UAE government through a G2G (government-to-government) model for the transfer of operations of Islamabad International Airport under a framework agreement.

A negotiation committee will be headed by the prime minister's advisor on privatisation and will include representatives from the ministries of defence, finance, law and justice, and privatisation.

The privatisation of the Islamabad airport is aimed at attracting foreign investment in the South Asian country and enhancing its operational efficiency.

Opened in 2018, the capital's airport experienced many operational and financial difficulties. The takeover by the UAE, which is home to some of the world's largest airports, will enhance the Islamabad International Airport's efficiency and operational performance.

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