Saudi Arabia unveils plan for new Riyadh airport
Saudi Arabia’s current airport in Riyadh does not see nearly the amount of traffic that Dubai and Doha do.
Saudi Arabia released its plans for a new international airport in the capital Riyadh today.
The King Salman International Airport will be a massive 57 square kilometers (22 square miles). The facility will be powered by renewable energy and include residential facilities, stores and six parallel runways, according to the official Saudi Press Agency.
The Public Investment Fund’s video release on the airport also stated that the complex will feature artificial intelligence-powered “augmented reality” technology.
Why it matters: Saudi Arabia is not a major transit hub like its neighbors Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. All Saudi airports registered 14 million passengers in 2021, according to Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Statistics. Dubai alone received more than 29 million international passengers last year, making it the busiest international airport in the world. Doha had 17 million passengers, making it the sixth busiest, according to Airports Council International.
