RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced plans to transform Riyadh Airport into massive aviation hub with six parallel runways and designed to accommodate up to 120 million travellers by 2030, state news agency SPA reported.

Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, Public Investment Fund (PIF) will build King Salman International Airport, which should stretch over 57 square kilometres and include current King Khaled airport, SPA said.

Aviation is part of government strategy to become global transportation and logistics hub by 2030, with Riyadh Airport as operation base of brand new airline, RIA, that would compete with regional heavyweights Emirates and Qatar Airways.

Kingdom has set itself high targets for diversifying its economy and reducing its dependence on oil, pouring hundreds of billions of dollars into plan called Vision 2030 initiated by kingdom’s de facto ruler Prince Mohammed

Published in The Daily National Courier, November, 29 2022

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