Jeddah Airports Company (Jedco) has awarded a contract to a joint venture of the local Algihaz Contracting and Turkiye’s TAV for the rehabilitation of the South Terminal at King Abdulaziz International airport (KAIA) in Jeddah. The project involves fully rehabilitating the old South Terminal to welcome pilgrims arriving in Jeddah for Umrah and Hajj pilgrimages. Singapore’s Surbana Jurong is the consultant. KAIA has three operational terminals. Opened in 2018, Terminal 1 is one of the world’s largest passenger terminals, and caters primarily for the state carrier Saudia and domestic flights. The North Terminal handles international airlines, while the Hajj Terminal is dedicated to pilgrim traffic. Operations from the South Terminal were transferred to Terminal 1 when it closed in 2020. Jedco has plans to transform KAIA into one of the world’s largest airports with a $31bn expansion plan that will increase its capacity to 114 million passengers a year. The largest components of the plan cover the design and expansion of Terminal 1 and the construction of a new Terminal 2. In 2023, officials said the expected completion date for the expansion project is 2031. Jedco is also building a new Hajj and Umrah terminal. Pilgrims comprise a large portion of passenger traffic, and the new arrivals and departures hall for budget airlines will be able to handle 15 million passengers a year. The project is expected to be completed by 2025. The project investment programme is a result of Jedco’s forecast that annual demand will reach 114 million passengers by 2030. (ICE RIYADH)

Fonte notizia: Meed