Riyadh’s King Salman Airport: Tendering Begins for World’s Largest Aviation Hub

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is moving forward with plans for the massive King Salman International Airport (KSIA) in Riyadh. The PIF is preparing to tender project management consultancy (PMC) contracts, which will cover the landside, airside, and terminal buildings. A potential fourth PMC package may also be tendered later.

These PMC roles will be assigned before the main construction contracts are tendered. UK-based Mace, which secured the delivery partner role earlier this year, will assist with project management, design, cost consulting, and procurement advice. Additionally, Foster + Partners is working on the airport’s masterplan, while Jacobs, a US-based firm, focuses on infrastructure design.

Spanning 57 square kilometers, the KSIA project includes six parallel runways and the integration of existing terminals at King Khalid International Airport (KKIA). The development will feature 12 square kilometers of support facilities, residential areas, recreational amenities, retail outlets, and logistics real estate.

By 2030, KSIA aims to become the world’s largest operating airport by passenger capacity, accommodating up to 120 million passengers, with a target of 185 million by 2050. For cargo, the airport aims to handle 3.5 million tonnes annually by 2050. Renovation contracts for KKIA were awarded last year, with Turkiye’s IC Ictas and local Al Rashid Trading & Contracting completing renovations of Terminals 3 and 4 earlier this year.

Saudi Arabia’s $100 billion investment in its aviation sector is part of a broader strategy to triple annual passenger traffic to 330 million by 2030. The General Authority of Civil Aviation (Gaca) also aims to increase air cargo traffic to 4.5 million tonnes and expand the country’s air connections to over 250 destinations.

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