AirportsZone: Middle East/Africa

Saudi Arabia plans to open a new airport in Riyadh

By November 29, 2022 No Comments

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is all set to open a new airport in the capital city of Riyadh. The announcement was made by Saudi Arabia’s crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmaan.

The airport will help drive annual passenger traffic in Saudi Arabia from the current 29 million to 120 million travelers by 2030 and 185 million by 2050, with aircraft traffic in the Kingdom increasing from 211,000 to more than 1 million flights per year.

The development, set to be built by the Public Investment Fund, will include the existing terminals named after King Khalid, with the capacity to process 3.5 million tons of cargo by 2050 and will boost Riyadh’s position as global logistics, tourist, and transport hub, according to Saudi Press Agency.

The airport will be powered by renewable energy and will place sustainability at its core and create 103,000 direct and indirect jobs, the statement added.

The airport is a part of a larger project to transform Riyadh into one of the world’s top 10 city economies, the statement said, and turn the capital into a “global gateway.”

The current King Khalid International Airport has five terminals with a capacity to cater to 12 million passengers annually. It currently hosts 52 commercial airlines and eight freight carriers.