Dammam Airports Company

Name

Dammam Airports Company

Legal name

Dammam Airports Company

Website

https://daco.sa

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Airport Operations & Aviation Infrastructure

NAICS

Airport Operations (48811), Warehousing and Storage (493)

SIC

Airports, Flying Fields & Airport Terminal Services (4581), Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro primary industry

Flight Operations Control & Dispatch (OCC/IOCC) (THABAIAA)

Keywords

• Airport operations
• Airport management
• Cargo handling
• Commercial aviation services
• Passenger terminal services

Headquarters

HQ city

Dammam

HQ country

Saudi Arabia

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Fixed Lease Contracts: Long-term fixed lease agreements for commercial site operation at airports, such as the SAR 75.72 million 15-year catering concession contract with CATRION at King Fahd International Airport.
2. Revenue-Sharing (Variable): Variable revenue-sharing component tied to total annual revenue generated from commercial sites, starting at 3.5% and increasing to 5.5% of total annual revenue.
3. Aeronautical Charges: Charges applied to airlines and aviation operators for the use of airport facilities including landing fees, parking, and ground handling services. King Fahd International Airport ranked first in operational performance compliance among Saudi international airports serving 5 to 15 million passengers annually.
4. Non-Aeronautical Commercial Revenue: Revenue from a wide range of commercial opportunities across aeronautical and non-aeronautical services including in-terminal retail concessions, food and beverage, advertising, transportation services, and airline development services at King Fahd International Airport and affiliated airports.
5. Cargo Village Operations: Freighting, warehousing, and customs clearance solutions at the Cargo Village at King Fahd International Airport, the first of its kind in the Kingdom. The village hosts 6 fast cargo companies, 2 deposit and re-export companies, 2 cargo handling companies, and supporting logistics companies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

DACO operates and develops three airports in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province — King Fahd International Airport (KFIA), Al-Ahsa International Airport, and Al-Qaisumah/Hafr Al-Batin Airport — providing passenger terminal operations, cargo handling through an integrated Cargo Village, general aviation services, and in-terminal commercial concessions. It sells aeronautical and ground-handling services to airlines and freight operators, leases commercial space to in-terminal tenants, and is executing 150+ development projects aligned with Saudi Vision 2030.

Product overview

Dammam Airports Company (DACO) operates a network of airports in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, consisting of three airports: King Fahd International Airport (KFIA) as the primary hub serving 12+ million passengers annually, Al-Ahsa International Airport, and Al-Qaisumah International Airport. The company's product portfolio centers on airport operations management and commercial services. Core offerings include passenger terminal operations at KFIA, the Cargo Village (the first of its kind in the Kingdom providing integrated freighting, warehousing, and customs clearance), and the newly inaugurated General Aviation Terminal featuring VIP lounges and a dedicated private aviation hangar. DACO provides commercial services across aeronautical and non-aeronautical sectors including transportation, advertising, and airline development. Infrastructure capabilities include advanced baggage handling systems, fire and rescue services, and digital services such as the Ishara sign language application for accessibility and electronic gates for automated passenger processing. The company is pursuing digital transformation through AI-enabled IT managed services and predictive analytics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• King Fahd International Airport: Primary international airport operated by DACO in Dammam, Saudi Arabia
• Al-Ahsa International Airport
• Al-Qaisumah International Airport
• Cargo Village

Products and services

• King Fahd International Airport (KFIA) operations Operation and development of King Fahd International Airport, the largest airport in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, providing passenger and cargo terminal operations, airfield infrastructure (including Category III automatic landing), general aviation facilities, and supporting services to airlines, passengers, and commercial tenants.
• Al-Ahsa International Airport operations Operation and development of Al-Ahsa International Airport serving the Al-Ahsa region, providing scheduled passenger services, airfield operations, terminal facilities, and supporting aeronautical and commercial services.
• Al-Qaisumah / Hafr Al-Batin Airport operations Operation and development of Al-Qaisumah/Hafr Al-Batin Airport providing scheduled and general aviation services, terminal and airfield operations for the Hafr Al-Batin region under DACO's multi-airport mandate.
• Cargo Village operations (KFIA) Integrated air cargo facility at King Fahd International Airport providing cargo handling, storage, and transshipment services to freight operators, integrators, and shippers; the first facility of its kind in the Kingdom.
• In-terminal commercial concessions Lease-based commercial offerings inside DACO terminals covering food and beverage, retail, advertising, transportation, and aviation services for airlines, tenants, and licensees serving the traveling public.
• General Aviation Terminal services (KFIA) Dedicated general aviation facility at King Fahd International Airport providing handling, servicing, and operational support for corporate, charter, and business jet operators and other private aviation customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 91% operational compliance rate ranking first among Saudi international airports serving 5 to 15 million passengers annually (GACA, May 2025)
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CATRION Catering Holding Co.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 July 2026CATRION signed a 15-year lease agreement with Dammam Airports Company (DACO) on July 2, 2026, to operate a catering site at King Fahd International Airport. The fixed contract value is SAR 75.72 million, with an additional variable revenue-sharing component starting at 3.5% and gradually increasing to 5.5% of total annual revenue. The agreement supports CATRION's sustainability initiatives and aligns with growth in passenger traffic and Saudi Vision 2030.
• KaarTechcoreTechnology or Integration · 2 March 2026Dammam Airports partnered with KaarTech to deliver end-to-end IT Managed Services across its airport network in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province. KaarTech manages complete IT operations across three airports including infrastructure, cloud, network operations, and 24/7 service management, incorporating AI governance, automation, and predictive intelligence. The collaboration aims to transform IT into an AI-enabled strategic driver aligned with Saudi Vision 2030.
• Universal Aviation (Evans Aviation Company)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 February 2026Universal Aviation was selected by Dammam Airports Company, GACA, and Matarat Holding to manage and operate the newly inaugurated General Aviation Terminal at King Fahd International Airport. The 42,000 ft² terminal includes two VIP lounges, pilot lounge, conference facilities, and a 28,000 ft² private aviation hangar — the first state-sponsored dedicated general aviation hangar in the Kingdom. Universal Aviation plans expansion to Jeddah and Riyadh.
• Al-Mustaqbal Group and Hilton HotelscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 August 2023Dammam Airports facilitated a strategic agreement between Al-Mustaqbal Group and Hilton Hotels to develop and operate a Hilton-branded hotel at King Fahd International Airport. The 273-room hotel will feature dining, terrace, pool, gym, meeting facilities, and executive lounge, serving travelers and airline crews, with future expansion planned.
• AJEX (Advanced Joint Express)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Dammam Airports signed a contract with AJEX for cargo, customs clearance, and logistics services at the Cargo Village of King Fahd International Airport. AJEX, a joint venture between Ajellan Group and SF Express, specializes in e-commerce distribution, express delivery, and multi-modal transport (air, sea, land) across the Middle East, supporting DACO's capacity enhancement goals.
• Microsoft ArabiacoreTechnology or Integration · 23 June 2022Dammam Airports signed an MoU with Microsoft Arabia to develop foundational capabilities for digital transformation and cloud solutions at King Fahd International Airport, aligned with Vision 2030. The partnership includes knowledge transfer in technology, digital culture initiatives, joint sustainability and automation programs, technical workshops, cybersecurity awareness, and cloud readiness assessments for future airport needs.
• National Water Efficiency and Conservation Center (Mayy)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 June 2022Dammam Airports signed an MoU with the National Water Efficiency and Conservation Center (Mayy) to enhance water efficiency cooperation, exchange knowledge, organize joint training, and support studies related to water efficiency and conservation at Eastern Province airports.
• ZajelminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 March 2020Dammam Airports and Zajel signed an MoU to develop logistics operations at King Fahd International Airport. The partnership aims to expand logistics business scope and increase cargo capacity, with Zajel having grown from 8 to 122 branches in prior years.
• Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 March 2020Dammam Airports and Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University signed an MoU for academic collaboration including airport engineering curriculum development, scientific research, transportation engineering internships for students, and support for university scientific events, aligned with Vision 2030 human capital development goals.
• VanderlandecoreTechnology or Integration · 7 May 2018Dammam Airports signed a strategic agreement with Vanderlande, the global market leader for value-added logistic process automation at airports, to introduce a state-of-the-art Baggage Handling System (BHS) at King Fahd International Airport to enhance operational efficiencies and improve travel procedures for passengers and airlines.
• Serco Middle EastcoreTechnology or Integration · 7 May 2018Dammam Airports signed an agreement with Serco Middle East to install cutting-edge fire and rescue services at King Fahd International Airport, making KFIA the first Saudi airport to leverage an international service provider's expertise in firefighting systems, raising airport safety standards.
• Matarat HoldingcoreOthersMatarat Holding is the parent holding company overseeing Dammam Airports Company as part of Saudi Arabia's aviation sector privatization under Vision 2030. DACO operates under Matarat Holding's governance alongside other Saudi airport operators.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Bahrain Airport Company: Operates Bahrain International Airport, a fellow GCC regional airport operator. Similar in scale and traffic profile to KFIA, competing for the same Eastern Province / Gulf transit traffic and sharing comparable airline customer overlap. Provides direct regional benchmarking on operational efficiency and commercial yield.
• Abu Dhabi Airports Company: Operates Zayed International and Al Ain airports in the UAE. Comparable GCC regional airport operator serving a similar Middle East aviation market with overlapping airline partners and competing for international transit traffic — directly relevant for benchmarking DACO's commercial strategy, capacity expansion, and operational standards.
• Hamad International Airport (Qatar Aviation Services): Qatar's flagship airport operated under MATARAT's Qatari counterpart (Qatar Airways Group). A larger regional peer competing for similar long-haul international traffic flows and serving as an aspirational benchmark for service quality, hub efficiency, and commercial revenue per passenger.

Broad incumbents

• Fraport AG: Global airport operator running Frankfurt Airport plus a global portfolio of airport concessions. A broadly comparable incumbent at far greater scale, useful for benchmarking DACO's airport management practices, commercial revenue optimization, and the international airport operator business model.
• Dubai Airports: Operates Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central (DWC). A much larger GCC incumbent and aspirational benchmark for capacity expansion, commercial monetization, and digital transformation in the regional airport sector. Directly relevant for understanding the upper bound of GCC airport value creation.
• MATARAT Holding Company: Parent holding company of DACO and other Saudi airport operators (Jeddah, Riyadh, TIBAH). A broader government-controlled incumbent overseeing the national airport privatization program; while not a direct operator, its strategic direction, capital allocation, and Vision 2030 mandates directly determine DACO's operating environment.
• TAV Airports Holding: Turkish airport operator with a global portfolio of airport concessions and operations. Comparable incumbent providing benchmarking on operating multi-airport networks, managing international partnerships (e.g., with IT, ground handling, and concession vendors), and scaling non-aeronautical revenue streams.

Direct peers

• TIBAH Airports Development Company: Operates Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport (MED) in Medina under a public-private partnership. Another Saudi airport operator directly comparable to DACO on operational scope, government partnership structure, and Vision 2030 alignment, with comparable passenger volumes in the medium-airport category.
• Riyadh Airports Company: Operates King Khalid International Airport (RUH) in Riyadh, the central Saudi hub. Like DACO, it is a state-owned airport operator under Matarat Holding managing a major international gateway with similar concession structures and Vision 2030 development mandates. Closely comparable on traffic scale, commercial model, and regulatory framework.
• Jeddah Airports Company (JEDCO): Operates King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED) in Jeddah under the same Matarat Holding umbrella as DACO. Both are Saudi state-owned airport operators running flagship international gateways under Vision 2030, with similar aeronautical/non-aeronautical revenue models and GACA oversight. Directly comparable on passenger mix, infrastructure pipeline, and privatization trajectory.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DACOKSA
• Instagraminstagram.com/daco_sa
• Facebookfacebook.com/DACOKSA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dammam-airports-company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dammam Airports Company