Saudi Arabia to build new airport in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman has announced a new airport to be opened in the capital of Riyadh.
Plans for the King Salman International Airport were announced on Monday afternoon.
The new airport will be set to welcome 120 million passengers by 2030 and will boost Riyadh’s position as a global logistics, tourist and transport hub, according to a statement shared by Saudi Press Agency.
The new facility will be one of the largest airports in the world and boast six parallel runways, state media said, with plans to process 3.5 million tons of cargo by 2050.
It will place sustainability “at its core” and will be powered by renewable energy, the statement added.
The airport will add 27 billion Saudi Riyals to the non-oil GDP of the country, without stating a date by which that target will be met.
It is part of a larger project to transform Riyadh into one of the world’s top ten city economies, read the statement from the monarch, and turn the capital into a “global gateway.” The airport is also planned to support Riyadh’s population growth to approximately 15 to 20 million people in the next eight years.
