King Salman International Airport, Saudi Arabia: Bold plan to build one of the world's largest airports

Saudi Arabia has revealed its intention to build what is expected to be one of the world's largest airports, the latest development in the country's bid to become a tourism hotspot.

Plans for the new King Salman International Airport, located in the capital of Riyadh, were announced by the kingdom's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the state-run Saudi Press Agency reported.

The airport, set to be built by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund, would be built on the site of the city's current airport, King Khalid International Airport.

It would cover an area of approximately 57 square kilometres, with six parallel runways. It would aim to accommodate up to 120 million travellers by 2030, and up to 185 million by 2050, as well as 3.5 million tonnes of cargo.

The airport design would showcase Saudi culture to offer a "unique travel experience" for visitors. It would also incorporate "cutting edge green initiatives" into its design, and be powered by renewable energy.

"The King Salman International Airport will boost Riyadh's position as a global logistics hub, stimulate transport, trade and tourism, and act as a bridge linking the East with the West," the Saudi Press Agency report read.

Saudi Arabia has an ambitious goal to attract 100 million visitors a year by 2030, as the country seeks to diversify its economy away from oil.

After long being closed off to foreign visitors, it started issuing tourist visas for the first time in September 2019.

Stuff.co.nz

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