King Fahd International Airport

INTRODUCTION
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabian succeeded in the last three decades in accomplishing a great
number of its aspirations in the field of air transport development as part of our overall economic
development. Accordingly, the achievements of the Presidency of Civil Aviation whose
establishment goes back to the year 1364H (1944G) became one of the most important
developments of which Saudi Arabia is very proud.

These achievements were mainly concentrated in the air transport industrys most important
sector, i.e., airports and their associated infrastructure, as they portray the countrys image and
are the window through which it has access to the rest of the world. This is coupled by the
importance of air transport to a country with the Kingdoms size and importance.
Lets start with King Abdulaziz International Airport which was opened in Jeddah in 1401H
(1981G) as it represents the first steps in this process of constructing modern international
airports in the Kingdom, its the western gateway, and a modern entrance to pilgrims coming
from the different parts of the world. A few years later, King Khaled International Airport was
opened in Riyadh, in 1403H (1983G), as a gateway to the Kingdoms capital. Now, King Fahd
International Airport, whose opening corresponds with the centenary anniversary of the founding
and unification of the Kingdom by the late King Abdulaziz Bin Abdulrahman Al Saud, emerges
as a new addition to this network of air transport development projects, an eastern gateway to the
Kingdom and a regional air transport center for serving the Eastern Region.
KFIA is expected to benefit the residents of the Eastern Region considerably and to contribute
effectively to further economic and cultural developments in this area besides encouraging
domestic tourism. Moreover, the airport is expected to enhance mutual benefits with the

neighboring countries along the Arabian Gulf, in addition to its role as a link between the Far
East on one hand and Europe & Africa on the other hand.

This modern structure whose initial

construction actually started in 1983 and
which is considered today one of the most
modern airports was built on an area of 776
square kilometers that lies in the middle of
an urban area that extends 120 km between
Dhahran to the south and Jubail to the
north. It is 50 km northwest of Dammam
and 75 km southwest of Jubail industrial
city. Now, a new southeast access road
branching from the Ibn Khaldon highway is
about to be completed which will be a
shortcut for those coming to the airport
from Dhahran, Dammam and all areas
lying south of the airport. The airports
location is characterized by the fact that it
links all residential areas in the eastern
region by two major roads one of them acts
as an eastern border which is Abu Hadriah
Highway. On the southern airport border,
ARAMCO occupies an area 250 sq. km.
which is used for oil drilling and
transporting facilities. The airport
structures occupancy around 43 sq. km.
which is 5.6% of its total area.

AIRPORT PRELIMINARY DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

1.

Site Selection
The parameters taken into consideration in selecting the airport site were as follows:
-

No air navigation obstacles.

Possibility of constructing runways in the direction of the wind prevailing in the area
according to ICAO specifications.

Availability of enough space for future expansion.

Possibility of controlling aircraft noise and usage of land adjacent to the airport
facilities.

Preservation of the environment.

If we study the development of airports and their distance from the main urban centers that
they serve, we notice that recent airports were constructed on large tracks of land far away
from cities as compared to other airports constructed in the early days of aviation, as shown
in the following table. This is because airports, though they are important strategic,
economic and social pillars for the cities they serve, they have other disadvantages that make
them undesirable to the residents adjacent to them due to the high noise level of aviation
traffic. Consequently, the airport was constructed on a large plot of land far away from
residential areas in order to control the noise arising from aircraft in their landing and takeoff
operations.

2.

Forecasting future traffic and identification of airport needs

Forecasting of future needs was based on the determination of expected growth in passenger,
air cargo and aircraft traffic in the short and long run using advanced scientific practices and
theories.
Characteristics of some International Airports

Existing
Airport Name

Distance from

Date of

Total Area

City Centers

(Sq. Km.)

(Km.)

KFIA, Eastern Region

760

50

1999

KKIA, Riyadh

220

25

1983

KAIA, Jeddah

105

20

1981

Mirabel, Montreal

356

55

1975

Dallas / Fort Worth

71

27

1974

Charles De Gaulle, Paris

31

25

1972

14.16

21

1941

J.F. Kennedy / New York

20

21

1945

Frankfurt

12

12

1936

11.4

22

1930

San Francisco*

21

14.15

1927

Copenhagen*

11

1925

Schiphol, Amsterdam*

1920

Dorval, Montreal*

Heathrow London*

Opening

The total areas of these airports at their opening were far less than the figures shown here.
Their existing areas include large spaces added through time to their original areas for
expansion purposes.

3.

Development of an airport master plan

The airport master plan was developed after conducting comprehensive studies on various
alternatives in which experts from PCA, IAP and SAUDIA participated along with a group
of international airport experts.

The development process took into account the general criteria and considerations related to
flight, facilities and the ground traffic environment in addition to the aesthetic and decor.
Construction of this international airport was planned to be in phases. This will enable it to
cope with the rapid changes in the air transport industry. Its facilities were designed to
accommodate 5 million passengers in the first phase and to reach 16 million passengers in
the future. The airport is designed to accommodate in the first phase 15 aircraft of different
sizes and types, at one time, in addition to its additional aprons, which can accommodate
more aircraft.
The airports design with its numerous structures and integrated facilities is considered a
crowning to the evolution of the Kingdoms international airport engineering, starting from
the separate terminal concept of KAIA, Jeddah, which was prevailing worldwide at that
time, to the linked terminal concept of KKIA, Riyadh, and finally the grouping of terminals
in a multi-level single terminal concept implemented in KFIA. The airport has emerged as
an architectural masterpiece and a modern image of the Kingdom with its multi-level
facilities and installations that were designed according to the most advanced international
standards and specifications to provide maximum safety and a smooth passenger flow
through the airport for air and passenger traffic.
Site planning was conducted in a manner suitable to the airports position and importance
using the Islamic architectural style in the main building design such as passenger terminals,
the mosques and the royal terminal. Roads, bridges and road intersections were designed in a
manner that enables the visitor and the traveler to identify the airport facilities from a remote
distance. Landscaping is used in an aesthetic way to create a feeling of relaxation and
pleasure to the viewers. The airport contains numerous works of art designed by well-known
Saudi and non-Saudi artists. These art works include paintings, tapestries, carvings and
mosaics which give the airport an excellent appearance that match the magnificence of its
design and construction.
The airport structural planning was conducted in a unique style that makes the provision for
future requirements in the structures design. According to the airports master plan, a
commercial area will be established adjacent to the residential complex that will be within
the airport. In addition, the airport shall be the first airport in the Kingdom that adopts the
concept of duty-free markets, which will encourage tourism, generate more revenues for the
region as well as allow its trade activities to flourish.

THE MAIN AIRPORT FACILITIES

The Multi-Story Passenger Terminal Complex
The passenger terminal represents the focal point for the airport structures. It is designed in a
way that caters to the future and includes commercial facilities for SAUDIA and other

international airlines. The terminal has six stories of which three are allocated for passenger
processing the third level for arrivals, the sixth level for departures and the fourth level for
boarding and two partial levels: the mezzanine service level and the mezzanine level (upper
most level). The passenger terminals total area is 327,000 sq. m., approximately 247,500 sq. m.
where built in the first phase. In addition to 11 fixed passenger boarding bridges serving 15 gates
out of an original design capacity of 31 fixed boarding bridges. The terminal is equipped with
several counters of which 66 were allocated to SAUDIA, 44 to foreign airlines and the rest for
Customs and Immigration.
Movement and operations run smoothly in the six levels of the terminal as shown below:

1st Floor: Service Level

This floor lies underground and houses mechanical and electrical equipment rooms and shall
be used in the future for a number of projects such as maintenance workshops, offices, bus
parking and garbage collection services.

2nd Floor: Mezzanine Service Level

This floor is considered as a link between the terminal and car park and houses the Ministry
of Health clinic. This floor is also the basement floor.

3rd Floor: Ground Floor (Arrivals Level)

Accommodates Customs and Immigration services for processing passengers arriving
through certain gates and for those arriving by airport buses from planes.

4th Floor: Boarding Level

This floor acts as a link between the aircraft and arrivals & departure levels. It contains
waiting areas for domestic passengers. It also contains 3 bridges leading to the car park in
addition to an airport information office.

5th Floor: Departure Level (Domestic & International Departures)

This floor contains departure processing and check-in counters.

6th Floor: Mezzanine (Balcony)

This floor accommodates the airport administration offices. The balcony is designed to enable
visitors to enjoy the sight of the aircraft takeoff and landing area. It also contains a cafeteria for
employees, a library and a presentation room.

The passenger terminal is characterized by the vertical separation between the domestic and
international passengers. The northern side of the concourse building contains two boarding
lounges allocated for international flights only. These two lounges are composed of two levels in
addition to a group of fixed walkways parallel to the moving walkways to enable international
and domestic passengers to use the gates of the fixed bridges easily. A separate walkway is
allocated to arrivals on international flights and leads to Immigration, Security and Customs
counters.
The passenger terminal is not just distinguished for its design but also by the many amenities of
comfort and enjoyment starting from the high ceilings of its departure level which give the
individual a great feeling of spaciousness, the soft lighting in all parts of the terminal, the
automatic curtains that go up and down according to the intensity of the sun light, in addition to
the deluxe furniture, and numerous aesthetical touches represented by the luxurious marble and
glass facades.

In one of the terminal corners a space furnished with chairs and tables was allocated for arriving
and departing passengers waiting to catch their next flights and arrange their travel papers in a
calm place while enjoying a cold or hot drink which they can buy from the adjacent shops.

The number of passengers in the first year of the airport operation is expected to reach 2,650,000
passengers on domestic flights and 2,500,000 on international flights.
The airport is equipped with a very advanced communication systems such as mobile radio, a
public address system, FIDS system, etc. Each gate is equipped with an auto parking system for
all types of civil aircraft. All aircraft positions and gates are equipped with air conditioning
systems and all gates are equipped with underground fueling lines at the terminals.

Runways
The airport has two parallel runways with a length of 4,000 meters each, in addition to taxiways
parallel to the runways. A distance of 2,146 meters separates the two runways to facilitate
simultaneous takeoff and landing operations by the biggest aircraft available now or in the future.
Provision was made for the construction of a third parallel runway if need arises. A road for
ground support equipment runs along the western side of the central terminal and is designed to
allow GSE (ground support equipment) to have access to aircraft and also to facilitate the
movement of baggage vehicles from aircraft to baggage areas.
Royal Terminal
The Royal Terminal is allocated for the use of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King
Fahd Bin Abdulaziz, and the Kingdoms guests from Kings and Heads of states to senior
government officials. The terminal was built on an area of 16,400 sq. m. and has four bridges
linking the terminal and aircraft. The Royal Terminal is well furnished with luxurious furniture,
fixtures and fine works of art by well-known Saudi and Arab artists. A landscaped area with
beautiful trees and flowers surrounds it on the outside.
The Mosque
The mosque is built on the roof of the car park and in the middle of the landscaped area of
46,200 sq. m. It has an architectural design that combines between the modern architectural style
and the old Islamic style, which is represented by the arches, dome and other Islamic decorations
and carvings on the doors, mihrab and pulpit (minbar).

Access to the mosque can be easily gained from the passenger terminal through two enclosed air
conditioned bridges equipped with moving belts in addition to a third open bridge. The mosque
accommodates two thousand worshippers.

Car Parking
The total area of the car park is 176,752 sq. m. distributed among three covered floors. The
parking area accommodates 4,930 cars. Cars enter the parking through a roadway that leads to
the 2nd floor. There is direct access to the passenger terminal from the parking on the 1 st floor,
which lies under the access road with exits leading on to the main road.
All parking is characterized by clear roadways and pedestrian directional signs in addition to the
lifts that link them directly to the mosque plaza and ablution facility.
Two open parking areas are available besides the car rental service parking to accommodate
additional cars.

Air Traffic Control Tower and Its Associated Systems

The control tower stands 85.5 meters high, i.e., equivalent to a height of 30 story building. The
height allows a 360-degree visibility over all parts of the airport operations area. Its total floor
area is 7,960 sq. m. and contains the following three main sections:
1

Air Traffic Control Level

Mezzanine Level (1) which accommodates air control and communication support
equipment.

Mezzanine Level (2) allocated for a kitchen and toilets.

The tower is equipped with state-of-the-art communication systems for directing pilots and
ground control.
Central Power Plant
This plant distributes electric power and is equipped with three 7-megawatt standby generators.
It also accommodates 4 chillers with a capacity of 5,000 tons for the provision of chilled water
necessary for air conditioning systems and a pumping station connected to a 16 thousand meter
long pipeline for fire services.

The Central Desalination Plant and the Waste Water Treatment Plant
The central desalination plant uses the reverse osmosis system and has a production capacity of
13,600 cu. m. of desalinated water per day. The plant supplies the airport facilities with potable
and ablution water, which is characterized by its high purity.
The waste water treatment plant with a production capacity of 6,000 cu. m. /day collects and
treats sewage water using technical and sanitary methods and then pumps it to be used in
irrigation around the airport.

Air Cargo Terminal Complex

The two-story air cargo building is constructed on an area of 39,500 sq. m. and has a capacity of
94,000 metric tons of incoming and outgoing cargo.
The terminals design allows for transforming the terminal operation system in future to a fully
automatic one equipped with multi-level racks and container stacker system. When the air cargo
facility becomes fully automatic its capacity will rise to 176,000 metric tons per year.

Catering Services Building (In-flight Meals)

The aircraft catering building covers a total area of 17,287 sq. m. It is equipped with the most
advanced equipment and installations according to the best international standards.
This facility shall produce eight thousand in-flight meals, one thousand meals for employees and
300 meals for the Royal Terminal restaurant per day. These figures can be increased if demand
increases.
Nursery and Landscaping
KFIA has its own nursery on a total area of 215,579 sq. m., which encompasses three green
houses and 36,400 sq. m. of green fields. The nursery supplies the airport gardens and planted
areas with trees and plants.
Fire & Rescue Facility
The airports of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are considered among the best airports in the world
with respect to security and safety systems. KFIA has a 24-hour fire unit equipped with the latest
equipment and machinery that enables it to reach any location in the airport, in case of fires,
within just three minutes. This record time enables the unit to control and suppress fire
immediately. There is also a rapid rescue unit that provides first aid services to casualties through
a fully equipped clinic.
Commercial Services Area
King Fahd International Airport shall occupy a leading position among the Kingdoms
international airports, as it is the first to adopt the duty free markets concept. This shall enable
the airport to contribute to the Regions economic development, tourism and commercial activity
and thus generate more revenue.
In addition to the spaces allocated to duty free markets the airport allocates a separate area for
shops specializing in the sale of gifts and all passenger related goods. This area includes
restaurants, cafeterias and banks and is located on the arrival level.
Meteorological Systems and Facilities
Forecasting weather conditions is of utmost importance to any airport. At KFIA weather
information is compiled by its advanced meteorological system, which includes ground control
equipment, satellite image receiving systems, transmitting system, weather radar system and
receivers of upper atmosphere strata observation results. All this information is compiled and
relayed to the weather forecasting center.
The meteorological center lies in the southeastern part of the airport, which provides a good view
of the whole airport and enables good coordination between the meteorology balloon launching
operations and aircraft takeoff and landing operations.

Saudi ARAMCO Facilities

Saudi ARAMCO is responsible for supplying fuel to KFIA and maintaining its fuel installations
at KFIA. These fuel installations include six large tanks with a capacity of 40 thousand barrels

each, in addition to pumping equipment, filters, loading stations and the distribution valve
network, which is composed of 88 units.
The airport is supplied with aircraft fuel by a special pipe network. Operation and control of the
fuel system is accomplished by a main control center.
In addition, an advanced fleet of fuel tankers provides fueling services to all types of commercial
aircraft. This facility is operated and maintained by a team of qualified Saudi personnel who
were trained abroad on the most modern systems and technologies in this field.

Utility Corridor
This is an underground reinforced concrete tunnel with a width of 6.7 m., a height of 4.5 m. and
a length of 3,209.8 m.
This tunnel accommodates various utility lines (potable water, fire water, electricity, chilled
water, treated sewage water used for irrigation purposes and the central plant chilled water). All
these lines are well arranged with enough space for maintenance technicians and security
personnel. The tunnels design makes provision for future expansion if required.
Airport Operational Readiness
In compliance with the directions of HRH Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz the Second Deputy
Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General to start airport operation in
Rajab 1420H corresponding to October 1999, a very detailed plan was laid down for testing
facilities and checking the operational readiness of the airport operating agencies and users.

The Operational Readiness Plan Included Four Phases:

 Phase One
This phase involved testing landing operations during the day, air operation pavements,
normal operating conditions, passenger boarding bridges, apron services, FIDS operations &
systems and airport operation center.
Phase Two
The second phase involved testing all procedures related to domestic flights, baggage and
passengers, in both the Passenger Terminal and Royal Terminal. Airfield lighting, refueling
systems and apron services were also tested in this phase.
Phase Three
The third phase included testing all activities related to international passenger and baggage
processing as well as those activities related to air cargo and mail operations and all day
landing operations.
Phase Four
The last phase was executed while all passengers, public and aircraft related facilities and
systems were in a state of full operational readiness to facilitate 24-hour operation.

Opening Ceremony
The Presidency of Civil Aviation allocated all its technical and human resources to the airport
operation through a group of advanced programs starting from the opening ceremony which
required a lot of preparations and continuous work in order to ensure that the opening ceremony

shall be up to the desired standard which matches the importance of this special occasion which
becomes concurrently with the Kingdoms centenary celebration.
Executive committees were formed under the chairmanship of H.E. Dr. Ali Abdulrahman AlKhalaf, President of Civil Aviation. H.E. presided over the opening ceremony committee whose
membership included PCA senior officials. A number of specialized sub-committees stemmed
from the committee: (Preparatory Committee, Technical Committee, Security Committee,
Reception Committee, Hosting Committee, Financial Committee, Health Committee and Public
Relations Committee).
Each one of the committees was assigned tasks and responsibilities within an integrated
framework plan. Preparation efforts covered all the sections of the opening ceremony including
the video presentations, and the documentary film, which shall be prepared by a specialized
national company in addition to related publications such as brochures, pamphlets, booklets,
press information files and photographs showing the airport facilities with the centenary logo on
them. All preparations related to the welcoming of the visiting VIPs from in-kingdom and out-ofkingdom was complete and all efforts were integrated to ensure all chances of success for the
ceremony.
PCA has the right to be proud of this remarkable achievement and to extend its genuine
felicitations to the man behind the countrys development, the Custodian of the Two Holy
Mosques, King Fahd Bin Abdulaziz, and to the Crown Prince and Deputy Premier and Head of
the National Guard and HRH Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz, the Second Deputy Premier, Minister
of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General who personally followed up all airport execution
phases and also to H.H. Prince Fahd Bin Abdullah, Assistant Minister of Defense and Aviation
and Inspector General for civil aviation for his highly appreciated efforts in facilitating
completion of the airport and finally to all the citizens of this generous country.

KFIA Profile
Location

Eastern Region, 50 km. Northwest of Dammam

Area

776 sq. km.

Passenger Capacity

5 million passengers now; 16 million in future

Car Parking Capacity

4,930 cars

Mosque Capacity

2,000 worshippers

Control Tower Height

85.5 m.

No. of Runways
Aircraft Parking Gates

Two (2)

Passenger Terminal Area

327,000 sq. m.

Water Desalination Plant Capacity

13,600 cu. m. /day

Waste Water Treatment Plant Capacity

6,000 cu. m. /day

Fuel Tanks Capacity

43,000 barrels

Air Cargo Terminal Capacity

94,000 cu. m. / day

Airports Road Lengths

89 km.

Significant Construction Highlights

137 million working hours
6 thousand workers
46 million cu. m. of earth works
836 thousand cu. m. of reinforced concrete
61.5 thousand tons of reinforcement steel
1.4 million Cement bricks
2.4 metric tons of asphalt

15 gates