A colossal new airport is set to open at the end of the decade, becoming the largest in the world.
King Salman International Airport, opening in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, is undergoing major works as part of the Kingdom’s £1trillion Vision 2030 building project.
The airport development of an expansion of an existing travel hub and will integrate existing terminals, which have been in operation since 1983.
When finished, the airport is planned to have six runways and serve an estimated 120 million passengers.
For comparison, Britain’s largest airport, London Heathrow, has just two runways and handled approximately 79.2 million passengers last year.
The Kingdom hopes to increase the numbers using King Salman International Airport to 185 million by 2050, as it looks to boost tourism to the country.
A statement from the Saudi Press Agency in 2022 said: “The airport project is in line with Saudi Arabia’s vision to transform Riyadh to be among the top ten city economies in the world and to support the growth of Riyadh’s population to 15–20 million people by 2030.”
SPA said it hoped the new airport would become an “aerotropolis centred around a seamless customer journey, world-class efficient operations, and innovation”.
The site is planned to span 35 square miles, around a fifth of which has been put aside for retail outlets.
The construction works are projected to create 150,000 jobs, in roles ranging from air traffic control operators to baristas at the retail section’s eateries.
The airport’s design being overseen by Foster + Partners, a British architectual firm that has also worked on the new Marseille Airport as as New York City’s Midtown Bus Terminal. Another UK firm, Mace, is serving as the delivery partner.
When completed, its expected to take the crown from fellow Saudi airport King Fahd International Airport – also known as Dammam Airport – as the largest airport globally.
As part of the Vision 2030 plans, work has already begun on a slew of multi-billion-pound projects, inclucing New Murabba city, which will centre around a huge gold cube.
The company developing the scheme says the metropolis will be big enough to contain 20 Empire State Buildings and will transform the horizon of the capital Riyadh.
