JCDecaux wins BIA advertising contract

Manama : Bahrain Airport Company (BAC), the operator and managing body of Bahrain International Airport (BIA), and the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications, awarded the airport’s much coveted advertising contract to JCDecaux, the largest outdoor advertising company in the world.

The French-based company was awarded the milestone contract following a fiercely competitive bidding process in which several of the world’s largest firms participated.

The signing ceremony was attended by the Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications Kamal bin Ahmed Mohammed, BAC CEO Mohamed Yousif Al Binfalah, JCDecaux Middle East CEO Martin Sabbagh, and other high level officials.

The concession agreement, which marks the advertising giant’s first entry into the Kingdom, will be for a period of 10 years, and covers the exclusive use of advertising space within BIA’s premises, in line with the vision of the Airport Modernisation Programme (AMP).

This includes the airport campus, forecourt and all approach roads. JCDecaux will use more than 230 formats for the duration of the contract, introducing the modern advertising methods it has been utilizing in over 75 countries.

The Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications, Kamal Ahmed said, “This agreement represents a milestone in our journey to put the Kingdom’s aviation and travel experience on the map as one of the most advanced in the world.”

The project is expected to provide additional sources of income that will help finance and sustain the AMP, an initiative that will elevate the Kingdom’s economic status substantially.

“Following a rigorous selection process, we identified JCDecaux as the most capable candidate for handling the advertising needs of this massive project, and are looking forward to a long and mutually beneficial partnership,” the minister added.

BIA currently accommodates around 9 million passengers per year. Upon completion, the new state-of-the-art passenger terminal building will increase that capacity by 50 per cent, allowing up to 14 million passengers to travel through the airport and benefit from its expanded commercial offerings.

BAC CEO Binfalah said, “This concession agreement will not only give JCDecaux the opportunity to expand its operations to a new country, but will also allow them work on a unique project of its kind.”

The AMP is more than just an expansion of the airport, it is meant to “modernize the entire passenger travelling experience and appeal to the tastes and needs of today’s sophisticated and demanding travellers.”

“We have high expectations to leverage JCDecaux vast experiences and capabilities to realize the vision we have developed for the new passenger terminal building,” he added.

Work on the AMP is ongoing, with the new terminal expected to open to the public in 2019 and completion of Phase 2 by 2020.