Saudi Arabia's Airport: A Sprawling Aviation Hub

Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the Middle East, with a vast majority of its population living in the cities of Riyadh and Jeddah. The country is known for its holy places of Mecca and Medina, which attract millions of Muslims each year for pilgrimage. As a result, Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in its airports, with 29 commercial airports, 13 of which are international airports. One of these, the King Fahd International Airport, is the largest airport in the world, spanning 780 sq km (300 sq mi). It is so large that it surpasses the entire area of Bahrain and is eight times bigger than Paris.

Saudi Arabia's busiest airport

Saudi Arabia has a highly developed air transportation system, which is key to the country's economy and tourism. The country has 29 commercial airports, 13 of which are international airports, 2 are regional, and 14 are domestic.

The largest and busiest airport in Saudi Arabia is King Abdulaziz International Airport, which serves as the main gateway for pilgrims travelling to the holy city of Mecca. It is located about 19 kilometres north of Jeddah and 80 kilometres northwest of Mecca. The airport was opened in 1981 and has since undergone several expansions to accommodate the growing number of passengers. The newest terminal was opened in 2019, increasing the airport's capacity to over 30 million passengers per year. The terminal covers an area of 810,000 square metres (8,700,000 square feet), making it one of the largest airport terminals in the world.

The airport in Jeddah is Saudi Arabia's busiest, particularly during the Hajj season, when millions of pilgrims visit the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. Jeddah is a coastal city that blends tradition and modernity, with a thriving dining scene and contemporary malls.

The Riyadh King Khalid Airport is another significant airport in Saudi Arabia, located about 32 kilometres from the capital city of Riyadh. It houses one of the largest control towers in the country.

King Fahd International Airport

Spanning an impressive area of approximately 776 square kilometres (300 square miles), King Fahd International Airport holds the distinction of being the largest airport in the world by area. To put this into perspective, the second-largest airport, Denver International Airport, covers only 136 square kilometres. The airport's property is so expansive that it is even larger than the nearby country of Bahrain and is equivalent to the combined area of the five boroughs of New York City.

The airport boasts a wide runway system, featuring two parallel runways, each an impressive 4 kilometres (2.5 miles) in length. These runways are designed to accommodate the largest commercial aircraft in the world, including the Antonov AN-225 Mriya, which visited the airport in 2009. In addition to its passenger facilities, King Fahd International Airport also offers dedicated cargo services, complete with extensive cargo aprons, warehouses, and logistics centres.

The airport's terminal buildings include a Passenger Terminal, an Aramco Terminal exclusively for Aramco employees, and a Royal Terminal reserved for the Saudi royal family. The Passenger Terminal, covering 3,520 square feet, can accommodate a large volume of travellers, with more than 10 million passengers passing through each year. The airport also features a mosque with a capacity of 2,000 people and residential housing for up to 3,000 people.

Jeddah King Abdulaziz Airport

Jeddah King Abdulaziz International Airport (IATA: JED) is located in Jeddah, the largest city in Saudi Arabia and the principal entry point for the Islamic Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages to the Holy Mosque in Mecca, just 65 kilometres to the west. The airport is approximately 19 kilometres (12 miles) north of the city centre.

The airport features two parallel runways, each measuring approximately 4,000 metres (about 13,123 feet) in length, capable of accommodating large aircraft. It also has permanent and movable helicopter pads suitable for all types of helicopters and charter aircraft.

Jeddah King Abdulaziz International Airport has multiple terminals, including the North Terminal for international flights, the South Terminal for domestic flights, and a Hajj Terminal used during the Hajj pilgrimage season to handle the influx of millions of Muslim pilgrims. The airport's new headquarters, inaugurated in 2019, houses the fourth-largest passenger terminal in the world, covering an area of 510,000 square metres and serving over thirty million passengers annually. Terminal 1, which opened in 2019, includes new lounges, a 14-metre tall aquarium, a mosque with a capacity of 3,732 worshippers, and a transport centre that links the terminal building to the parking area and the Airport–Jeddah station of the Haramain High-Speed Railway.

The airport offers a wide range of facilities and services for travellers, including shopping areas, restaurants, currency exchange, car rental counters, and duty-free shops. It also provides lounges for premium passengers. The airport has undergone significant expansion and renovation projects to modernise and increase its capacity to handle the growing number of passengers.

Riyadh King Khalid Airport

King Khalid International Airport (KKIA) is located 35 kilometres (22 miles) north of Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. Covering an area of 225 square kilometres, it is the largest airport in the country and the second-largest in the world in terms of land area. The airport was designed by the architectural firm HOK, with Arabian Bechtel Company Limited serving as the construction manager on behalf of the Saudi government.

The airport was opened in late 1983 by King Fahd, with scheduled flights commencing in December of the same year. It consists of five passenger terminals, each with eight aero-bridges, and an additional Royal Terminal. Terminal 5, inaugurated in 2016, can handle more than 12 million passengers per year. The airport also has one of the world's tallest air control towers, standing at 81 metres (265 feet) high, with 19 separate floor levels and a total of 1,230 square metres of floor space.

The airport's design reflects Arab and Islamic culture, with geometric formations of simple triangles and a central axis featuring a hexagonal mosque that can accommodate five thousand worshippers. The mosque is composed of two floors topped by a large circular dome, visible from all terminals. The airport control tower shares design characteristics with the mosque and offers views of the surrounding areas, including glimpses of the Tuwaiq Mountains.

King Khalid International Airport offers essential amenities such as currency exchange offices, ATMs, and an information desk located centrally in the terminal building. There are also restaurants, cafes, and shops within the terminal complex, as well as a modern VIP terminal. The airport provides parking space for more than 11,600 cars and is easily accessible by car, with various transfer options available to and from the city centre.

Saudi Arabia's airport size compared to other countries

Saudi Arabia has a highly developed air transportation system that is pivotal to the country's economy and tourism. There are 29 commercial airports across the kingdom, including 13 international airports, 2 regional airports, and 14 domestic airports. The busiest airports in the country are Jeddah King Abdulaziz Airport and Riyadh King Khalid Airport. Jeddah Airport is used heavily during the Hajj season as the city is a popular destination for pilgrims.

King Fahd International Airport (KFIA) is the largest airport in the world, spanning 780 sq km (about 300 sq mi). To put this into perspective, it is larger than the entire area of Bahrain, a neighbouring country. It is also eight times bigger than Paris and can accommodate several small Indian cities. Despite its size, the airport currently handles only 10 million passengers annually, which pales in comparison to major international airports like London Heathrow or Dubai International Airport. However, Saudi Arabia has ambitious plans to increase its capacity, aiming to accommodate up to 185 million passengers annually in the future.

King Fahd International Airport is named after King Fahd ibn Abdulaziz, who ruled Saudi Arabia for 23 years until his death in 2005. The airport has become a pivotal hub for air travel in the region, operating 37 airlines serving 43 destinations. It is well-connected to destinations across the Middle East and the Indian Subcontinent and also facilitates international connectivity to Europe. The airport boasts state-of-the-art facilities and infrastructure, including a sprawling terminal complex with duty-free shops, restaurants, prayer rooms, and business facilities.

While King Fahd International Airport is an impressive example of Saudi Arabia's airport infrastructure, the country has several other notable airports. King Abdulaziz International Airport is served by 55 airlines operating flights to and from 109 destinations. The airport recently opened a new terminal in 2019, bringing its total capacity to over 30 million passengers per year. There are also plans for further expansion to accommodate up to 80 million passengers.

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