Riyadh: Saudi Arabia is gearing up to open the world’s biggest airport by 2030. The General Authority of Civil Aviation in the country said that the King Salman International Airport, currently under construction here, will be the biggest in the world when it is finished. Spanning over 57 square kilometres, it is being constructed for a whopping budget of 23 billion pounds. As per reports, it will have six huge runways besides an impressive 12 kilometres set aside for retail outlets to enhance the passengers' shopping experience. The design and construction of the airport are overseen by the noted global architecture firm Foster + Partners. The new airport is assumed to serve 120 million passengers and will likely create 1.5 lakh job opportunities. Integrating the current terminals at the King Khalid International Airport with the new airport is also a part of the mega project.
An eco-friendly airport
The authorities hope that the new airport will be able to handle more than 185 million passengers as well as 3.5 million cargo by 2050. King Salman International Airport is part of the Kingdom’s vision to transform Riyadh into a major global logistics hub as well as provide an impetus to the transport, commerce and tourism sectors of the country. Moreover, Riyadh would be a bridge that connects the East with the West. The airport, which is expected to follow eco-friendly practices, will have measures to conserve water and electricity through the latest technology.
