A colossal new airport is set to open in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, by the year 2030. With a staggering £23 billion price tag, the air hub is expected to take the crown as the largest airport in the world.
Poised to shatter records, King Salman International Airport is set to integrate the existing terminals, which have been operational since 1983, while also adding new services and features. The giant hub is estimated to cater to 120 million travellers initially, with plans to ramp up capacity to an overwhelming 185 million passengers by 2050. This move is aligning with the kingdom’s ambitious plan to expand its tourism sector and deliver on Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud’s 2030 Vision.
A statement from the Saudi Press Agency previously said: “The airport project is in line with Saudi Arabia’s vision to transform Riyadh to be among the top 10 city economies in the world and to support the growth of Riyadh’s population to 15–20 million people by 2030.”
The agency also said that they hoped the new airport would become an “aerotropolis centred around a seamless customer journey, world-class efficient operations, and innovation”.
Spanning a vast 22 square miles, the airport design dedicates over four square miles to retail space, much to the delight of shopaholics enjoying duty-free indulgences. To put it into perspective, the entirety of Heathrow fits into the area earmarked just for shopping at this new Saudi air hub.
The new airport is set to dwarf Heathrow’s operations, handling 41 million more passengers than Europe’s current busiest airport, and with a total of six runways, it will have four more than the UK air hub.
The construction is set to generate a whopping 150,000 jobs, with roles ranging from air traffic control operators to baristas.
The design of this monumental project has been entrusted to the British architectural powerhouse Foster + Partners, the same firm behind the new Marseille Airport and New York City’s Midtown Bus Terminal. UK construction giant Mace is serving as the delivery partner.
Currently, the largest airport in the world is King Fahd International Airport – also known as Dammam Airport – also located in Saudi Arabia. It is also the third largest airport in the country in terms of passenger volume, welcoming more than 10 million a year, and being served by 37 airlines.
The airport isn’t the only mega-project in the making in the country. As part of the Saudi kingdom’s “Vision 2030” plans, work has also begun on the new £40 billion New Murabba city, which will centre around a giant gold cube. Touted as Riyadh’s future heart, it’s part of an eye-watering £1 trillion investment in infrastructure and property projects announced since 2016.
Work is also underway on the colossal “Neom” megacity, rising from the desert sands.
