HE President of Civil Aviation: “His Highness the Crown Prince’s announcement of the launch of the general plan for Abha International Airport is in line with the development the Kingdom is witnessing in various fields.

October 12, 2023

His Excellency the President of the General Aviation Authority, Mr. Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Duailej, confirmed that the announcement of His Highness the Crown Prince to launch the general plan for Abha International Airport, comes as an embodiment of the leadership’s interest in the civil aviation sector and is in line with the development the Kingdom is witnessing in various fields, adding that is an extension of the objectives of the national strategy for transport and logistics services that was launched by His Highness the Crown Prince, which aims to make the Kingdom a global logistical platform linking the three continents and enabling tourism goals, as well as it being in accordance with the National Aviation Strategy, which is to contribute to consolidating the Kingdom’s position in being the regional leader in the field of aviation by the year 2030.

His Excellency said: “There is no doubt that this step proves the Kingdom’s commitment to its pursuit of leadership in the aviation sector in the Middle East, and its firm commitment to achieving the goals of the National Aviation Strategy, which is to triple the number of passengers to reach 330 million passengers, and to strengthen the Kingdom’s connection to the world by launching new destinations to reach 250 destinations and increasing air freight capacity to reach 4.5 million tons annually by 2030.

His Excellency stated that the project to launch the new Abha Airport comes within a series of projects and airports that the General Authority of Civil Aviation seeks to implement. In accordance with the National Aviation Strategy, which aims to enhance the Kingdom’s air connectivity with the world by establishing Abha as a global tourist destination, increasing the capacity of Abha Airport 10 times the current capacity to reach 13 million passengers annually, attracting investments and involving the private sector in the air transport sector of the Asir region.

The design of the new Abha Airport is a reflection of the urban architectural style and the authentic identity of the Asir region. The traveler, while moving between the airport facilities, will be able to recognize the identity of the region and sense its deep-rooted heritage and authenticity. The urban design of the new Abha Airport was inspired by Asiri architectural heritage, and the most prominent points of inspiration were the archaeological buildings of Rijal Almaa with their distinctive use of materials such as stones, clay and wood which are used to construct their buildings and palaces. The design was also keen to reflect the diverse local terrain of the region, including coasts, plains, slopes and towering mountains, which made the identity of Abha Airport a unique identity that reflects the civilization of the region and gives it the primacy of urban construction in this authentic style.