RIYADH: According to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Saudi Arabia is planning to build one of the world’s largest airports, which will be a significant boost to the Kingdom’s ambition to become a global trade and tourism hub.
The King Salman International Airport, which will be 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 annually.
The airport will help Saudi Arabia increase annual passenger traffic from 29 million to 120 million by 2030 and 185 million by 2050, while aircraft traffic in the Kingdom will increase from 211,000 to more than 1 million flights per year.
According to the Saudi Press Agency, the new airport will achieve LEED Platinum certification by incorporating cutting-edge green initiatives into its design and will be powered by renewable energy.
The Public Investment Fund will construct the development, which will include the existing terminals named after King Khalid and have the capacity to process 3.5 million tons of cargo by 2050.
According to the SPA report, it will evolve into an aerotropolis focused on a seamless customer journey, world-class efficient operations, and innovation. Riyadh’s identity and Saudi culture will be incorporated into the airport’s design to provide visitors and transit travelers with a one-of-a-kind travel experience.
“The airport project is consistent with Saudi Arabia’s vision of transforming Riyadh into one of the top ten city economies in the world and supporting the city’s population growth to 15-20 million people by 2030,” SPA said.
It was also stated that the King Salman airport would generate 103,000 direct and indirect jobs.
The new airport is a component of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 initiative (PIF)
It did not provide specifics on the planned investments, but a source familiar with the plans told Reuters that the PIF’s aviation department will receive substantial funding to develop an ecosystem of cargo and passenger airlines, repair companies, and airports.
Under the transportation strategy that calls for the establishment of the two hubs, the 77-year-old state airline Saudia will be based out of the Red Sea city of Jeddah.
The kingdom is already in talks with planemakers Airbus SE and Boeing Co about placing orders for Saudia and RIA.
The announcement comes on the eve of the World Travel and Tourism Global Summit, which kicks off on November 28 in Riyadh.
The global summit, billed as one of the year’s most important tourism events, is being held at the King Abdul Aziz International Conference Center under the theme “Travel for a Better Future.”
During the event, industry leaders will discuss the sector’s future and the challenges that must be overcome to ensure a safer, more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable travel and tourism industry.
Source: Arab News