 The Ministry of Defense and National Security and the State Trading Organization rendered valuable assistance during the project’s early stages.Excavation for the runway began on 11 January 1982, and the final layer of the runway was completed on 6 April 1986.The project was implemented totally using local expertise, and though it was initiated under the Government’s budget alone, additional financial assistance was received from outside, notably from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries’ Fund (OPEC Fund).