- Title: SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi Arabia to invest $7.2 billion in Jeddah's airport expansion
- Date: 2nd September 2013
- Summary: JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA (RECENT - 25 AUGUST, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CRANE DRIVER AT SITE LIFTING UP STEEL BARS LIFT LIFTING UP PLANK SIGN READING IN ARABIC AND ENGLISH: 'NEW KING ABDULAZIZ INT. AIRPORT PROJECT (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MOHAMMAD ABED, GENERAL SUPERVISOR OF KING ABDULAZIZ NEW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN JEDDAH, SAYING: "The area of the new passengers terminal that is being worked on now is within the limits of 720,000 square meters, and there are 46 gates. Each gate could accommodate two aircraft." VARIOUS OF LABOURERS AND CONSTRUCTION WORKERS WORKING ON THE NEW TERMINALS VARIOUS OF BULLDOZER WORKING AT SITE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MOHAMMAD ABED, GENERAL SUPERVISOR OF KING ABDULAZIZ NEW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN JEDDAH, SAYING: "There are 46 gates servicing 92 planes at the same time including the A-380 aircraft and there are terminals for the international and local flights, and most importantly, there is a new service at Jeddah airport, which is that all the services provided by the airlines to serve passengers are all located under one roof." VARIOUS OF WORKERS LIFTING UP STEEL TRUCKS AT THE CONSTRUCTION SITE VARIOUS OF WORKERS PREPARING ONE OF THE LANDING STRIP WITH STEEL NET (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MOHAMMAD ABED, GENERAL SUPERVISOR OF KING ABDULAZIZ NEW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN JEDDAH, SAYING: "The total number of workers in the project is 23,500 workers and this number is expected to reach more than 30,000 workers, among them are engineers, technicians and administrators. The number of workers in the project will also increase as we come closer to the end of the project." WORKERS AT ONE OF THE NEW TERMINALS CONSTRUCTION SITES VARIOUS OF CARGO PLANE LANDING WHILE CONSTRUCTION GOING ON (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MOHAMMAD ABED, GENERAL SUPERVISOR OF KING ABDULAZIZ NEW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN JEDDAH, SAYING: "The total cost of the new project, including roads, train station, terminals, the infrastructure for the second phase of the project, and all the appliances and equipment is 27 billion riyals." TRUCKS DRIVING PAST SIGN READING IN ARABIC AND ENGLISH: 'DEEP EXCAVATIONS' WORLD'S TALLEST TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER UNDER CONSTRUCTIONS MOHAMMAD ABED, GENERAL SUPERVISOR OF KING ABDULAZIZ INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, GOING DOWN THE LIFT FROM THE TOWER ENGINEERS TALKING ABOUT THE WORLD'S TALLEST TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER WIDE OF WORLD'S TALLEST TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MOHAMMAD ABED, GENERAL SUPERVISOR OF KING ABDULAZIZ NEW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN JEDDAH, SAYING: "We expect to finish the implementation of the project at the end of the year 2014 and we expect to start operating after 6 months or in the middle of the year 2015."
- Embargoed: 17th September 2013 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Saudi Arabia
- Country: Saudi Arabia
- Topics: Business,Industry,Travel / Tourism
- Reuters ID: LVA50F936NXZ4KMA2JQYUD74MDL3
- Story Text: Saudi Arabia is investing heavily in infrastructure projects, revamping many of its airports to cater to growing passenger traffic.
The latest of these projects is the 27 billion rivals (7.2 billion U.S. dollars) development of Jeddah's King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA).
The airport, whose development is scheduled to complete by the end of 2014, is located at the kingdom's second largest city and its leading commercial centre.
The airport expansion will be completed through a three-phase development entailing a passenger terminal complex, a state-of-the-art facility spread over a spectacular twin crescent footprint, 46 contact gates, 94 boarding bridges, including double deck A380 access and a class-leading lounges as well as airside hotel.
"The area of the new passengers terminal that is being worked on now is within the limits of 720,000 square meters, and there are 46 gates, each gate could accommodate two air crafts," said airport general manager Mohammad Abed.
"The total number of workers in the project is 23,500 workers and this number is expected to reach more than 30,000 workers, among them are engineers, technicians and administrators. The number of workers in the project will also increase as we come closer to the end of the project," he added.
The new gates facility will replace the existing North and South terminals and introduce new levels of comfort and convenience for passengers, according to General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA).
Areen Design, alongside Arup and Atkins, make up the British consultancy team leading the design of the new terminal.
The new airport will include class-leading lounges, indoor gardens, high-speed rail link and improved transportation centre.
The project also aims to invest highly on environmental aspects through making use of recycled materials, major clean up, construction design, and reduced water consumption.
This policy is is derived to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Silver status for the project.
Jeddah is also the entry point for pilgrims coming to Mecca for the annual haj pilgrimage, making it an international hub.
Opened in 1981, KAIA is the second-busiest airport in the Middle East in terms of passenger traffic after Dubai.
The Saudi Bin Ladin Group (SBG), the country's biggest construction company, is the main contractor on the project, along with many other international subcontractors and suppliers.
The project was backed by the kingdom's ministry of finance.
Top OPEC oil exporter Saudi Arabia plans to spend billions of riyals in coming decades to overhaul some of its airports.
In March, the kingdom's civil aviation authority said traffic at Saudi airports had reached 30 million passengers annually and was expected to double to 60 million over 10 years. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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