As part of the revolutionary project Vision 2030which is redesigning the face of Saudi Arabia, one of the most ambitious projects is the expansion ofKing International Airport Abdulaziz of Jeddah. This airport is at the center of a massive project which aims to increase its annual capacity to 150 million passengers by 2050. The goal is to transform Jeddah into a globally strategic airport hub, capable of efficiently managing growing tourist and pilgrimage flows. Let’s see together what this project consists of and what technologies will make this airport one of the most modern in the world.
The Jeddah International Airport project in Saudi Arabia
The expansion ofKing Abdulaziz International Airport of Jeddah is an important project, which is part of the most ambitious and revolutionary Vision 2030 project with which Saudi Arabia aims to redefine its face, to free itself from dependence on oil, and to become a nation focused entirely ongreen energy. First of all, the main ambition is to manage well 114 million passengers per year, to manage it by 2050 150 millionin such a way as to make Jeddah one of the largest airports in the world in terms of number of passengers passing through it every year.
From a purely engineering point of view, the new King Abdulaziz International Airport involves the renovation of Terminal 1already to date one of the largest in the world, inaugurated in 2018. Terminal 1 covers a total area of 810,000 square meters and is currently able to manage the transit of 30 million passengers a year. It will also be created, from scratch, the Terminal 2.
The Terminal, which takes the name of, will then be expanded Hajj and Umrah Terminal, which is intended only for the transit of pilgrims who take turns to reach it Medina And Mecca. This covers a total area of approx 490,000 square meters. To better manage air traffic, the construction of a fourth runway is planned. Currently the airport is equipped with three tracks, two of which are approximately parallel to each other 4000 meters. The new runway that will be built will also have the same length.
Criticism of the expansion plan of the Jeddah-King Abd al-Aziz airport
The many and certainly ambitious projects of Vision 2030 have often been the subject of heavy criticism. First of all the main criticisms came because of heavy delays under construction. From the date of completion of the works to today, it is at 2031 but general opinion is skeptical on this point, and it is thought that the closing date of the construction sites will still be postponed by several years. Another reason for heavy criticism is represented by the costs. In fact, the expansion required an initial investment of 31 billion dollarsalthough, according to the general progress of the project, the necessary budget will certainly increase.
A further element of criticism is that relating to the environmental impact. In fact, it should be considered that the management of 114 million passengers per year leads, consequently, to a drastic increase in flights and, consequently, to a drastic increase in carbon emissions.
