Saudi Arabia announced on Monday a project for a new airport in Riyadh, as part of the development of the capital of the oil-rich Gulf monarchy, which aims to prevail in air transport.
The largest economy in the Arab world and the world’s leading exporter of crude oil, the kingdom is carrying out comprehensive projects to diversify its economy, following in the footsteps of its smaller neighbors, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in the lead.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s de facto ruler, announced the launch of the project, which will cover 57 square kilometers and aims to “boost transportation, trade and tourism,” the official SPA news agency reported.
The future King Salmán International Airport, which bears the name of the current sovereign, aged 86 and ill, should accommodate 120 million travelers in 2030 and 185 million in 2050. Its cost has not been specified.
Five million tons of cargo
As part of the sweeping reforms of the “Vision 2030” project led by Prince Mohammed, Saudi Arabia aims to more than triple its annual traffic to reach 330 million passengers by the end of the decade.
The authorities also want to attract $100 billion of investment in the air transport sector by 2030, but also create a new national company and transport up to five million tons of cargo a year. The new airport should be able to handle 3.5 million tons of cargo by 2050, according to SPA.
Saudi Arabia thus aspires to compete with Dubai and Doha, which have become major players in world air transport with their airports as well as their companies, Emirates and Qatar Airways. Saudi Arabia’s busiest international airport is currently in Jeddah, a coastal city on the Red Sea, where millions of Muslim pilgrims land each year on their way to Mecca.
Source: BFM TV
