Four design firms, including US-based Jacobs, have signed strategic partnerships to develop Saudi Arabia’s planned mega-airport in Riyadh. King Salman International Airport Development Company (KSIADC) penned the agreements with Jacobs, Saudi Arabia-based Nera and UK-based firms Mace Group and Foster + Partners.
“We are thrilled to welcome these industry leaders to work closely with the KSIA team,” Marco Mejia, acting CEO for KSIADC at the contract signing on Aug. 20. “Their combined expertise will be instrumental in delivering a world-class airport that surpasses expectations and fuels regional economic prosperity.”
The expanded King Salman International Airport would cover 22 sq miles and include six parallel runways. Saudi officials say the airport would be able to accommodate 100 million passengers by 2030.
Foster + Partners and Jacobs will handle the infrastructure design on the estimated $7.2 billion project. Jacobs will provide concept master plan validation, detailed master plan design, runway design and other services. The two firms previously won a competition to design the concept master plan for King Salman International Airport.
Mace Group, the delivery partner for the project, will focus on planning and construction schedules to enable the phased completion of one of the world’s largest airports. Nera will provide technical and operational solutions for the aviation and air navigation.
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced the airport expansion plan in 2022 as part of the kingdom’s Saudi Vision 2030. The program is aimed at diversifying Saudi Arabia away from its dependence on oil revenues. KSIADC is part of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, Public Investment Fund (PIF).
The plan, introduced in 2016, calls for making Saudi Arabia a regional logistics hub in part by increasing air connectivity to 250 destinations and transporting 330 million passengers.
"This project supports The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's ambition to deliver the strategic objectives under Vision 2030, showcasing the Kingdom to the world and diversifying the economy into new areas such as tourism," says Jacobs senior vice president Keith Lawson.
The design will prioritize low-carbon design and the use of renewable energy and technological innovation to deliver more sustainable and efficient operations with a target of achieving LEED Platinum certification, Jacobs says.
The project is one of two mega-airports under development in the Middle East. Earlier this year, Dubai announced a $35-billion plan to expand the Al Maktoum International Airport over the next ten years. The new airport, also known as Dubai World Central, would replace existing Dubai International Airport, currently the busiest in the world for international traffic.
The project would expand the emirate’s second-largest airport to cover 27 sq miles and include five parallel runways. The four terminals will accommodate 400 gates enabling the facility to handle up to 260 million passengers and more than 13 million tons of cargo per year.
