THE ENGINE: PROJECTS & INFRASTRUCTURE •
SAUDI TOURISM: THE CONNECTIVITY BUILD-OUT $267b n Transport and logistics investment 8,000k m New railway track planned 330m n+
250 International destinations targeted 6m n Planned AlUla Airport capacity
Annual airport capacity target 120m n King Salman Airport capacity by 2030
AlUla International Air- port’s planned second terminal will lift capac- ity from 400,000 to six million passengers
Above: AlUla International Airport’s planned second terminal will lift capacity from 400,000 to six million passengers
and regional destinations. King Khalid International Airport is reorganising terminal operations to improve passenger flows: Terminal 5 will serve international flights by foreign airlines, Terminals 3 and 4 will handle domestic traffic, and Terminals 1 and 2 will continue to serve international flights operated by Saudi carriers. King Salman International Airport, a $30 billion development planned for Riyadh, is expected to accommodate 120 million passengers annually by 2030. In Asir, the first phase of the new Abha International Airport will expand the terminal from 10,500 to around 65,000 square metres, add 20 boarding gates and raise annual capacity from 1.5 million to more than 13 million passengers. Completion is scheduled for 2028. New Taif International Airport will support regional connectivity and Umrah traffic, with capacity for 2.5 million passengers annually by 2030 and room for longer-term expansion. AlUla International Airport’s planned second terminal will lift capacity from 400,000 to six million passengers, expand the apron to accommodate 15 aircraft and introduce a hotel, spa and upgraded visitor services aligned with the destination’s premium positioning. Rail and urban mobility are advancing alongside aviation.
Riyadh Metro, one of the world’s largest driverless public transport systems, has carried more than 200 million passengers since its launch in December 2024, demonstrating the speed at which new infrastructure can become part of everyday life. Digital transformation provides another layer of connectivity. Electronic visas, integrated government platforms and data-driven visitor management are simplifying travel and giving policymakers better insight into tourism performance. Saudi Arabia’s first-place ranking in the Middle East and North Africa for digital government services, with a 99% score in the 2025 Global E-Government Maturity Index, reflects the same emphasis on coordinated delivery. These foundations will support Expo 2030, the FIFA World Cup 2034 and continued tourism growth beyond both events. Saudi Arabia’s progress will ultimately be measured by the quality of the journeys it enables: how easily visitors can arrive, move between destinations, access services and discover more of the country. A tourism economy that performs as one connected system would give the kingdom the scale, resilience and adaptability to keep growing for decades beyond 2030.
SPOTLIGHT RIYADH | 35
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