Saudi Arabia is hoping to welcome more tourists and is building an epic airport to do so.
Currently, visitors to the Middle East country mostly land at the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah. The city is close to Mecca where many pilgrims travel to take part in Hajj, making it Saudi’s busiest transportation hub.
Those wanting to visit the Kingdom’s capital, Riyadh, tend to fly into the King Fahd International Airport—the world’s largest airport—which is situated in Dammam, 250 miles northeast of Riyadh. In a bid to make Riyadh the type of cosmopolitan city that can rival Dubai, Saudi officials are planning to build an airport in the city itself.
The new airfield will be built over the existing King Khalid International Airport and will be called the King Salman International Airport in honor of the reigning monarch who is currently 86. It is set to be designed by architecture firm Foster + Partners and will have the capacity to accommodate 120 million passengers annually.
“Looking forward to the future, the new King Salman International Airport reimagines the traditional terminal as a single concourse loop, served by multiple entrances,” stated the Head of Studio at Foster + Partners, Luke Fox. “The terminal is very much of its place and connects passengers to the sensory experiences of the city, with natural elements, tempered light and state-of-the-art facilities.”