The Egyptian Airports Company (EAC) is said to have set the deadline for contractors to submit bids for the Sharm El-Sheikh airport expansion contract for 26 January. Five companies are said to be preparing to bid; namely: i) Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) (Athens-based) / Acciona (Spain); ii) Orascom Construction Industries (local); iii) El-Nasr Building & Construction Company (EGYCO) (Local); iv) Khalid Ali al-Kharafi & Brothers (Kuwait); and v) Hassan Allam Holding (local). The tender deadline was extended in November 2015, but the contract is still expected to be awarded in 1Q2016. The local African Development Bank Group is partially financing the USD671 million project through a USD140 million loan, which was approved in April 2015. (MEED)