Saudi Arabia has unveiled the latest step in its long-term plans to make aviation a central plank of its diversifying economy, with the announcement of a huge expansion of one of its major regional airports.
Abha International Airport, in the far southwest of the country near the border with Yemen, will undergo a makeover that will see its terminal grow from 10,500 m² to 65,000 m² (113,000 ft.² to 700,000 ft.²).
The plan was announced Oct. 12 by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is also chairman of the country’s Council of Economic and Development Affairs.
The existing airport has a capacity to handle 1.5 million passengers annually. The new one will be capable of handling 13 million by the time the first phase of the development is completed in 2028, according to Matarat Holding, part of the country’s aviation regulator, the General Authority of Civil Aviation.
The expansion will include the construction of passenger jetways, self-service facilities for passenger check-in and baggage handling, and high-capacity parking facilities. The new airport will feature 20 gates, together with 41 check-in counters with seven self-service check-in desks.
The expansion will see traffic at the airport rise from its current 30,000 flights a year to more than 90,000. With passenger numbers rising approximately nine-fold, but flights only tripling, this suggests that the country’s aviation authorities foresee a considerable up-gauging of aircraft using Abha.
Architecturally, the new airport will reflect the Asir region in which it is located, with plans to transform it into a prominent landmark. With Saudi Arabia embarking on the creation of a vast new tourism sector, the new airport is expected to contribute to the Asir region’s development as a tourist destination.
Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 project foresees the number of passengers using the country’s airports rise from the current 100 million to 330 million by 2030. Over the same period, the country is aiming to greatly expand the number of inbound tourists. Previously set at 100 million annually, this target has recently been increased to 150 million.
As the nearest major airport to the Yemen border, Abha International Airport has been attacked several times in recent years by drones or ballistic missiles fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels during the latter country’s civil war. Saudi Arabia and several other Arab nations have been fighting the rebels.
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