The Airports Development Program was a major national infrastructure project in Saudi Arabia. It was launched in 1975 by the Saudi Arabian Government aimed at replacing three obsolete airports located in Jeddah, Riyadh, and Dammam. The project was aligned with the second Five-Year Plan (1975–1980), with the government amounting billions of dollars in funding for construction.
| Date | 1975 |
|---|---|
| Location | Saudi Arabia |
| Type | Infrastructure development |
| Cause | 1970s economic growth and outdated pre-existing airports |
| Organised by | Saudi Arabian Government |
| Outcome | Construction of three international airports |
Background
editIn the 1970s, Saudi Arabia underwent a significant economic transformation fueled by oil revenues. Due to the rapid growth in domestic and international air travel, and annual Hajj seasons by the 1980s, the existing international airports in the kingdom were rendered at overcapacity. Jeddah International Airport was located within the city center, while Riyadh International Airport and Dhahran International Airport were surrounded by growing suburbs, which hindered the capabilities to expand all three airports. Furthermore, flag carrier Saudia's passenger numbers had grown from 1.8 million in 1975 to 9.5 million in 1980, and 11.6 million by 1984.[1][2]
Airports program
editIn the second Five-Year Plan (1975–1980), the Saudi Arabian government began funding infrastructure upgrades which included billions of dollars worth of funding for newer airports. Subsequently, in 1975, the Saudi Arabian government launched the airports program, aimed at building three new international airports to serve Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dhahran. The initiative was part of the kingdom's Third Development Plan, primarily aimed at modernizing its transportation networks.[3][4]
Construction phases
edit- Jeddah International Airport
In 1974, the site of the first international airport was selected north of Jeddah, and construction began in 1975. Spanning 103 square kilometers, the project's estimated cost was US$4.5 billion, and was budgeted at US$5 billion. Construction was managed by the Parsons company in joint venture with Daniel International as a U.S. consortium, and German construction company Hochtief which facilitated the construction of the fabric roof units on the Haji terminal. On 12 April, 1981, King Khalid and Prince Fahd inaugurated the new airport, dedicating it to King Abdulaziz. Following inauguration, King Abdulaziz International Airport opened on 31 May, 1981. Due to its scale, the airport was seen as one of the world's largest at its time.[2]
- Riyadh International Airport
In 1974, the planning and site selection of the second international airport began. The construction of the project was budgeted at US$3.2 billion, with planning and economic analysis amounting up to "30,000 pages of reports". In 1976, construction of Riyadh International Airport began. During peak construction, 66 separate construction contractors and more than 14,000 workers were active on-site. In order to house workers, Bechtel Saudi Arabia Ltd. constructed a permanent housing facility able to accommodate up to 10,000 workers. Logistics involved thousands of tons of freight globally delivered, including cement from Spain and Greece, structural steel from Korea and Japan, and wire mesh from Germany. 34 passenger air bridges manufactured in Texas were also shipped intact on roll-on, roll-off cargo vessels. The airport site measured approximately 225 square kilometers, which was twice the area of Jeddah International Airport. Rock-crushing, asphalt and concrete batch plants, water treatment plants fed by four wells drilled a mile deep, a 700,000-gallon capacity sewage plant, a jet fuel storage and pumping facility, and emergency generators were installed by the construction contractors. In total, the project required 7.8 million concrete blocks, 86,100 metric tons of rebar, more than 7 million tons of aggregate, over 408,000 tons of cement, and 29.6, million cubic meters of earthworks. The airport was also the first in the country to be equipped with travelators.[3] On 16 November, 1983, King Khalid International Airport opened. The location of the new airport began attracting development like hotels, government offices, residential areas, and roads, influencing the city of Riyadh to expand northeast.[4]
- Dhahran International Airport
In 1976, the planning of the third and last international began, and a site was selected 30 kilometers northwest of Dammam, which was free of airspace restrictions imposed by the nearby Dhahran International Airport. The site was also located near major highways and expressways, allowing sufficient access. In 1977, a master plan was completed by architecture firm Minoru Yamasaki & Associates and Boeing. In mid-1981, Arabian Bechtel Company Ltd. and Minoru Yamasaki revised and updated the master plan, which led to the preparation of a traffic forecast and revaluation of the passenger terminal. In 1983, construction of the airport began. It was projected to open by 1988, however due to the massive scale of the project, construction work was prolonged. King Fahd International Airport was finally opened on 28 November, 1999.[5][2]
References
edit- ^ "مطار الملك خالد الدولي يكمل عامه الأربعين". صحيفة الحقيقة. 18 November 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
- ^ a b c Richard Hobson and Arthur Clark (July–August 1986). "The Long Leap Forward". Saudi Aramco World. pp. 28–37. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
- ^ a b Richard Hobson (January–February 1984). "The Riyadh Gateway". Saudi Aramco World. pp. 6–19. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
- ^ a b Stephen D. Hayes (July–August 1980). "Riyadh on the Move". Aramco World. pp. 26–33. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
- ^ "KFIA Project Summary – King Fahd International Airport". Saudi Arabia Trade and Business Directory. Retrieved 19 December 2025.