UAE to help set up Int’l airport, MRO and pilot training facilities at Dholera
New Delhi: A Letter of Intent (LoI) for investment cooperation was signed today between the Government of Gujarat and the Ministry of Investment of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the development of the Dholera Special Investment Region (DSIR). The LoI was inked during the visit of UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to India. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the objective of the LoI is “to pursue investment cooperation for UAE partnership in the development of the Special Investment Region in Dholera, Gujarat.” The proposed partnership includes the development of key strategic infrastructure such as an international airport, a pilot training school, a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility, a greenfield port, a smart urban township, railway connectivity, and energy infrastructure. Phase I of the new Greenfield Airport at Dholera is under construction at an estimated cost of ₹1,305 crore. The project is being implemented by Dholera International Airport Company Limited (DIACL), a joint venture of the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the Government of Gujarat (GoG), and the National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust (NICDIT). The Dholera airport is planned to serve passenger and cargo traffic from the Dholera Special Investment Region and is expected to emerge as a major cargo hub supporting the industrial corridor. It will also cater to surrounding regions and function as a second airport for Ahmedabad. Initial passenger traffic is estimated at three lakh passengers per annum, which is projected to rise to 23 lakh passengers annually over a 20-year period. The upcoming airport is located around 80 km from Ahmedabad airport. Furthermore, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said that the UAE will provide its artistic items for the National Maritime Museum proposed to be built at Lothal in Gujarat.
Source: Desh Gujarat
