Here is a look at the airfield from above:

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g231/mrfusion1/KAIA.jpg
Google Earth

- There are three parallel runways and three passenger terminals. The two white rectangles just north and south of the main aircraft parking stands are the North and South Terminals. The South Terminal handles Saudi Arabian Airlines exclusively, while everyone else uses the North Terminal. It appears there are no jet bridges at this airport.

- The Hajj Terminal is the two giant tent rectangles at the top of the image, built to handle the influx of passengers during this season.

- The area on the far right hand side of the image is for the military.

:grouphug:

Work on New Jeddah Airport to Begin by September
Roger Harrison, Arab News

JEDDAH, 17 July 2006 — Four new terminal buildings, a high-speed rail link and a capacity for up to 80 million passengers a year are among the targets proposed for the new Jeddah international airport. The new development should take place in three stages, the first of which could be completed in five years.

The project is designed to increase the airport’s capacity initially from 13 million passengers by 30 million passengers each year. The expansion includes airfield hard standing and paved areas, lighting, fuel network systems and storm water drainage network. There will also be a newly constructed support services building, renovation of the existing South and North Terminals and upgrades to the existing runway and airfield systems to accommodate the Airbus A380.

The three stages, according to the Civil Aviation Authority, will be marked by an increase of capacity to 30 million, 60 million and eventually 80 million passengers per year. Based on current traffic increase, the existing South Terminal will need to serve about 21 million passengers per year over the next 20 years to meet growing demand. During the 2000 Haj season it received 2.6 million travelers and around one million pilgrims. The airport has to provide the facilities required for the service of pilgrims and those who visit the country to perform Umrah.

The project has reached the final stages of planning and design and Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has approved a budget of SR900 million to build the futuristic new airport to international standards.

Abdullah Al-Rehaimy, president of the Civil Aviation Authority, has said that the project will be built by local companies.

The four new crescent-shaped passenger halls will be located to the south of the current international terminal which will be undergoing renovation at the same time.

Talal Saaty, speaking at a presentation of the project to Jeddah Governor Prince Mishaal ibn Majed, said that work on the improvements could start as early as this coming September. Operational capacity for the airport, he said, would increase and denied that upgrading work would hamper traffic throughput. Work on renewing and upgrading the facilities, he said, would be timed to avoid peak traffic flow.

Access to the new terminals is still in the planning and purchasing stage. An extension of Prince Majed Street will make access direct and easy; the municipality is currently investigating the location of land needed for the proposed extension and is addressing the problem of the compulsory purchase of property and compensation.

Southward, Prince Majed Street will connect to the Al-Laith Highway, forming a fast north-south transit route.

As well as much improved road access, plans have been made for a high-speed rail link serving the airport. Starting at Prince Majed Street, the link will run into the airport and hook up with terminals.

Source: Here (http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article=85489&d=17&m=7&y=2006)

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http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g231/mrfusion1/KA1.jpg
Travel4arab.com

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g231/mrfusion1/KA2.jpg
Travel4arab.com

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g231/mrfusion1/KA3.jpg
Travel4arab.com

NOTE: This thread is in part a replica of a thread already in the Saudi forum, which can be found here. (http://skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=297777)

:grouphug:

Very cool. Is the current Hajj terminal used to also handle flights on a daily basis?

Also, it seems who ever made those photos thinks that some day Jeddah will become a NorthWest Airlines hub ;)

Will this New Jeddah International Airport be a completely different airport from King-Abdul-Aziz International Airport?

Will this New Jeddah International Airport be a completely different airport from King-Abdul-Aziz International Airport?
Nope, the "new" simply refers to the Passenger Terminal expansion and other additions, like the high-speed rail connection to Mecca. As you can see from the aerial image, the airfield is plenty large [the three runways are spaced so that all of them may operate independently of one another regardless of weather] and has plenty of room for expansion. :yes:

:grouphug:

Very cool. Is the current Hajj terminal used to also handle flights on a daily basis?
I found a lengthy article (http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/198104/a.terminal.in.a.tent.htm) saying the Hajj Terminal is used "exclusively" for the pilgrimage.

A brief overview from ArchNet (http://archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.tcl?site_id=294):

The Hajj Terminal houses, for a short time, the one million or more pilgrims who make their way to Mecca each year. The capacity of the terminal at any one time is estimated at 50'000 for a period of up to 18 hours during arrival and 80,000 for periods of up to 36 hours during departure. Roofed by a fabric tension structure that covers more area (40.5 hectares) than any roof in the world, the terminal provides toilets, shops, benches and banking facilities for the pilgrims. Twenty-one tent units, each 45 metres square, form a single module. The terminal is comprised of 10 such modules: two identical five-module sections separated by a landscaped mall. Thus, the two large terminal units each comprise a total of 105 tents. The tents are hooked to steel rings hung from suspension cables which are draped from single pylons in the interior of the module, from ladder-like double pylons at the module edges and from four-pylon towers at the corners. The enclosed and air conditioned arrival buildings are located under the tents along the outside edge of the terminal units parallel to the aircraft aprons. In the jury's words: "The brilliant and imaginative design of the roofing system met the awesome challenge of covering this vast space with incomparable elegance and beauty."

Recipient of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, 1983.

(Source: AKTC)

Some great photos (http://archnet.org/library/images/thumbnails.tcl?location_id=1685) of the terminal also from ArchNet.

:grouphug:

Thanks for the info...

Did I forget to say that this airport is HUUUUUUGE! :bow:

Saudi Arabia is really fond of making their main airports (three to be exact) very large. Wow!

The international airport in Damman (King Al-Fahd International Airport) is the world's largest in terms of total and area, right, because their website claims that they have over 780 square kilometers of land including reserved-land. I suggest you feature this airport in your next threads. :)

In the article it said that there will be four "new" terminals. How come I only see the render for one? :?

Very cool. Is the current Hajj terminal used to also handle flights on a daily basis?

Also, it seems who ever made those photos thinks that some day Jeddah will become a NorthWest Airlines hub ;)


HAHA....oh man...that cracked me up so bad...

after the war of sky highest here the war of the largest and more beautiful airport scrapes!!!

Airport Development Program, Jeddah

King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah
http://www.dhv.nl/Application.PerformanceManagerServlet/English/Groupssite/Markets/Aviation/Projects/Jeddah_Airport/jeddah.jpg


Country
Saudi Arabia

Client
Government of Saudi Arabia

Advisory Service
Masterplan, design, tender documents, studies.

Period
2000-2003

The Presidency of Civil Aviation is undertaking a major expansion program to improve the present facilities and aircraft pavements and to cope with the airport's continuing growth up to the year 2020

The contract was signed to provide Consultancy Services for the implementation of this large scale Airport Development Program including the design and construction of a new terminal complex for about 21 million annual passengers with related airside and landside facilities and utilities. The project comprises a.o. the architectural, structural and interior design of two new departure terminals, a new concourse with 31 contact stands and the overall renovation of the existing South Terminal to arrival terminal, apron and taxiway modifications and extensions, electrical and mechanical systems, landside development, landscaping, groundwater management and utility services.

Services:

Masterplan;
Planning, Preliminary and Final design;
Tender documents and construction supervision;
Technical study of external utilities services;
Financial feasibility study;
Technical study of groundwater conditions.

Download the project description:

http://www.dhv.nl/Application.PerformanceManagerServlet/English/Groupssite/Markets/Aviation/Projects/Jeddah_Airport/King_Abdulaziz_International_Airport.pdf

:cheers:

Thanks for the info...

Did I forget to say that this airport is HUUUUUUGE! :bow:
The Hajj Terminal at 405,000 sq. m. was the largest in the world until the completion of Hong Kong Int'l Airport. :yes:

Saudi Arabia is really fond of making their main airports (three to be exact) very large. Wow!

The international airport in Damman (King Al-Fahd International Airport) is the world's largest in terms of total and area, right, because their website claims that they have over 780 square kilometers of land including reserved-land. I suggest you feature this airport in your next threads. :)
If Saudi Arabia has one thing besides oil, it is vast amounts of empty land. Good for airports! :yes:

In the article it said that there will be four "new" terminals. How come I only see the render for one? :?
Ah, but you see TWO! ;)

Each squarish-shaped building to the left and right of the existing terminal is a "new" terminal. They will be built and utilized while the original center one undergoes renovation.

As for the third and fourth new terminals, I can only presume since this airport loves symmetry [as much as me :yes:] that a similar structure will be built for the North Terminal.

:grouphug:

Jeddah International Airport , Saudi Arabia :cheers:

http://static.flickr.com/92/241706349_f9a402117c_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/95/241706351_c54f18fe43_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/79/241706352_5c0bba5a39_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/86/241706353_a677046835_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/96/241706355_aa5a3310e8_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/85/241706356_c9d09a23c1_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/83/241708827_2e8ee80b7a_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/85/241708826_8399529afc_o.jpg

:cheers:

The current JED is huge by land mass, but the SV terminal is embarassingly small. During the Hajj, thousands of people scrambled through one small 1.5 meter glass door to get to the passport section! Tens were injured including me.. The airport is literally the smallest international airport I have ever been to.

The expansion should take place sooner and should finsih sooner if it wants to keep people happier.