Transport in Saudi Arabia is facilitated through a relatively young system of roads, railways and seaways. Most of the network started construction after the discovery of oil in the Eastern Province in 1952, with the notable exception of Highway 40, which was built to connect the capital Riyadh to the economically productive Eastern Province, and later to the Islamic holy city of Mecca and the port city of Jeddah. With the economic growth of the 1970s, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has initiated many infrastructure development projects across the country, and the extensive development of the transportation network has followed suit in support of various economic developments.
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the Riyadh Governorate. The current form of the metropolis emerged as an offshoot of the eponymous walled town following the dismantling of its defensive fortifications in the 1950s, after which the city underwent several phases of expansion and urbanization.
Saudia, formerly known as Saudi Arabian Airlines, is the flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, based in Jeddah. The airline's main hub is at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.
Dubai International Airport is the primary and is a major international airport serving Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and is the world's busiest airport by international passenger traffic. It is also the fifth-busiest airport in the world by passenger traffic, the busiest airport for Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 movements, and the airport with the highest average number of passengers per flight. In 2017, the airport handled 88 million passengers and 2.65 million tonnes of cargo and registered 409,493 aircraft movements.
King Khalid International Airport is an international airport located about 35 kilometres (22 mi) north of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, designed by the architectural firm HOK, and Arabian Bechtel Company Limited served as the construction manager on behalf of the Saudi government.
Dammam is the capital of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia and the kingdom's fourth-most populous city, with a total population of 1,532,300 as of 2022. The judicial and administrative bodies of the province, in addition to the administrative offices of other minor governmental departments functioning within the province, are located in the city. The word itself is generally used to refer to the city, but may also refer to its eponymous governorate.
King Abdulaziz International Airport, is a major international airport serving the cities of Jeddah and Mecca in Saudi Arabia, located 19 kilometres (12 mi) north of Jeddah and covering an area of 105 square kilometres (41 sq mi). The airport is the busiest in the kingdom and the third-largest by land area. Opened in 1981, it was built to replace the now-demolished Kandara Airport and is named after the founder of Saudi Arabia, King Abdulaziz.
King Fahd International Airport, also known as Dammam International Airport or simply Dammam Airport or King Fahd Airport, is the international airport serving Dammam, Saudi Arabia. The airport is located 31 kilometres northwest of downtown Dammam and is named after the former King of Saudi Arabia, Fahd ibn Abdulaziz (1921–2005). The airport serves the entire Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia and is one of the four primary international airports in the kingdom.
Hamad International Airport is an international airport in Qatar, and the home of the national flag carrier airline, Qatar Airways. Located east of the capital, Doha, it replaced the nearby Doha International Airport as Qatar's principal and main national airport.
King Salman Air Base, formerly known as Riyadh Air Base until 2015 with the commencement of "Decisive Storm" and formerly known as Riyadh International Airport from its opening in 1946 until 1983, was a military air base in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It was originally used by Saudia as an airline hub before King Khalid International Airport opened in 1983.
Sohag International Airport is an Egyptian International airport serving the city of Sohag, capital of the Sohag Governorate of Egypt. The airport is 24 kilometres (15 mi) south of the city. The airport is a new establishment, as it was built in 2010. The International airport is designed to resemble an Ancient Egyptian temple.
The Riyadh Metro is a rapid transit system under construction in Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia. It is part of the King Abdulaziz Project for Riyadh Public Transport and will consist of six metro lines spanning a total length of 176 kilometres (109 mi), with 85 stations. The project will cost $22.5 billion to build. It is expected to open to passengers in 2024.
Saudi Vision 2030 is a government program launched by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which aims to achieve the goal of increased diversification economically, socially and culturally, in line with the vision of Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman. It was first announced on 25 April 2016 by the Saudi government.
Neom is a new urban area being built by Saudi Arabia in Tabuk. Launched in 2017 by crown prince Bin Salman, the site is at the northern tip of the Red Sea, due east of Egypt across the Gulf of Aqaba and south of Jordan. The total planned area of Neom is 26,500 km2 (10,200 sq mi). Multiple regions are planned, including a floating industrial complex, global trade hub, tourist resorts and a linear city powered by renewable energy sources.
King Salman Park (KSP) (Arabic: حديقة الملك سلمان) is an under construction 4102-acre large-scale public park and urban district in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It was unveiled in 2019 as one of the public initiatives to increase the green space of Riyadh. Being built on the grounds of former Riyadh Air Base and covering most of King Abdulaziz District, it is slated to be the largest urban park in the world upon its opening in 2024. The park has lent its name to the nearby district of King Salman Neighborhood, both of which are named after King Salman bin Abdulaziz, the ruler of Saudi Arabia since 2015.
Neom Bay Airport is a commercial airport located in Neom, Saudi Arabia. It is 48 km (30 mi) east from the nearest airport, Sharm El Sheikh International Airport across the Red Sea in Egypt. It is one of the four-airport network that is projected in the city, one of which is to be international. In January 2019, the airport received 130 Saudia passengers, who were employees in Neom; this was their first visit to the project. The airport is located at Neom Bay, the first area to be constructed in the framework of the project. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has classified the airport as a commercial hub. The length of the airport's runway is 2,630 metres (8,630 ft). The airport has a logistic location as it links three countries: Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt. Neom Airport is the first airport in the region to use the 5G wireless network service.
Red Sea International Airport is an international airport in Hanak, Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia serving the sustainable tourism megaprojects in development called the Red Sea Project and Amaala. Designed by British architects Foster + Partners, the airport began operations on September 21, 2023, and is expected to service one million passengers in 2030.
Riyadh Air is a planned second flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, based in Riyadh. The airline's main hub will be at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, and will operate domestic and international scheduled flights to over 100 different destinations in the Middle East and six continents. The fleet will consist of Boeing 787 aircraft.
New Murabba is a planned mixed-use real estate development in northwestern Riyadh and easternmost Diriyah, Saudi Arabia. It was announced in February 2023 by Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman as the world's largest modern downtown project. Named after Riyadh's al-Murabba neighborhood, it is part of Saudi Vision 2030 and would contain the Mukaab, a 400-meters tall cuboid skyscraper. It will be the world's second climate-controlled indoor city, after the Mohammed Bin Rashid City in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
