Saudi Arabia announces the creation of the world’s largest aviation center

Saudi Arabia has launched a new King Khalid International Airport to be located in the capital Riyadh, planning one of the world’s largest aviation hubs.

This new airport is expected to serve more than 100 million passengers per year and can handle 300 flights per hour by 2025. This would make it one of the most efficient airports in the world.

This new airport replaces King Fahd International Airport, which has been in operation since 1983 and could not meet the growth in demand due to its limited capacity. 

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Instead, the new facility, which will have six parallel runways over an area of 57 km2, aims to boost trade and tourism in the region and is expected to contribute US$7.18 billion annually to Saudi Arabia’s non-oil GDP.

This country, which is considered the largest economy in the Arab world, is seeking to impose itself in the air sector and diversify its economy, which has so far been based on oil. 

This new airport project is expected to create 103,000 direct and indirect jobs and is expected to triple its annual air traffic by the end of the decade, reaching 120 million passengers by 2030.

King Khalid International Airport will be LEED Platinum certified, as it plans to incorporate green initiatives such as renewable energy powering into its planning. Additionally, its unique design ensures an unforgettable travel experience for visitors and transit travelers, competing with smaller neighbors Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

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Saudi Arabia is already in talks with leading aircraft manufacturers Boeing and Airbus for new aircraft orders to be delivered to two of its airlines Saudia and the new airline RIA which will establish its hub in this new facility.

In addition, to the increase in passenger traffic the new King Khalid Airport will have the capacity to process 3.5 million tons of cargo by 2050 which would help Riyadh rank among the top ten urban economies in the world; a plan that is in line with Saudi Arabia’s vision to support population growth to 20 million people by the end of the decade.