RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is set to construct one of the world’s largest airports, according to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, which would be a major boost to the kingdom’s ambition to become a global hub for trade and tourism. .
The King Salman International Airport, located in Riyadh, will have six parallel runways, and is expected to contribute SR27 billion ($7.18 billion) to Saudi Arabia’s non-oil GDP.
The airport will help increase annual passenger traffic in Saudi Arabia from the current 29 million to 120 million passengers by 2030 and 185 million by 2050, with air traffic in the Kingdom increasing from 211,000 to more than 1 million flights per year.
With sustainability at its core, the new airport will achieve LEED Platinum certification by incorporating cutting-edge green initiatives into its design and will be powered by renewable energy, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
The development, to be built by the Public Investment Fund, will include an existing terminal named after King Khalid, which will have the capacity to process 3.5 million tonnes of cargo by 2050.
The SPA report states that it will become an aerotropolis centered around a seamless customer journey, world-class efficient operations and innovation. The airport design will take into account Riyadh’s identity and Saudi culture to ensure a unique travel experience for visitors and transit passengers.
“The airport project is in line with Saudi Arabia’s vision to transform Riyadh into the world’s top ten city economies and support the growth of Riyadh’s population to 15-20 million people by 2030,” SPA said.
It states that King Salman Airport will create 103,000 direct and indirect jobs.
It did not give details on planned investments, but a person familiar with the plans told Reuters that PIF’s aviation division is getting the bulk of the funding to build an ecosystem of cargo and passenger airlines, repair companies and airports.
The 77-year-old state airline will be based out of the Red Sea city of Jeddah as part of the Saudia transport strategy that calls for the establishment of two hubs.
The kingdom is already in talks with aircraft makers Airbus SE and Boeing Co. to order two carriers for Saudia and RIA.
The announcement has been made on the eve of the World Travel and Tourism Global Summit starting in Riyadh on 28 November.
Considered to be one of the biggest tourism events of the year, the global conference is being organized at the King Abdul Aziz International Conference Center under the theme “Traveling for a Better Future”.
During the event, industry leaders will share their views on the future of the sector and the challenges that must be addressed to ensure a safer, more resilient, inclusive and sustainable travel and tourism industry.