Saudi Airports Handle 128 Million Passengers in 2024, Marking 15% Growthhttps://english.aawsat.com/business/5144725-saudi-airports-handle-128-million-passengers-2024-marking-15-growth
Saudi Airports Handle 128 Million Passengers in 2024, Marking 15% Growth
King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh (SPA)
Saudi Arabia’s aviation sector recorded robust growth in 2024, as airports across the Kingdom welcomed more than 128 million passengers—a 15 percent increase compared to the previous year. The surge comes as part of Riyadh’s broader push to establish itself as a global aviation hub in the Middle East, in line with the goals of Vision 2030.
According to the 2024 Air Transport Statistics Bulletin, issued by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), international passenger traffic reached 69 million, up 14 percent year-on-year, while domestic travel saw a 16 percent jump, reaching 59 million passengers.
The expansion is being driven by the National Aviation Strategy and the Air Connectivity Program, alongside efforts to privatize and modernize airport infrastructure. The Kingdom aims to connect to 250 destinations globally by 2030 via 29 airports, with a targeted annual capacity of 330 million passengers and 4.5 million tons of air freight.
The Air Connectivity Program has played a central role in these efforts, helping attract 12 new international carriers and opening more than 60 new routes through 18 newly connected cities. Infrastructure developments in 2024 included the expansion of Al-Ahsa International Airport and the opening of a new international terminal at Taif International Airport.
King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah maintained its position as the busiest airport in the Kingdom, handling around 49 million passengers—an increase of 14 percent. Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport followed with 37.6 million passengers, up 18 percent, while Dammam’s King Fahd International Airport recorded 12.8 million passengers, reflecting a 15 percent rise.
The total passenger-handling capacity of Saudi airports reached 126 million in 2024. King Abdulaziz International led with a capacity of 50 million passengers annually, operating at 98 percent utilization—an 11 percent increase from 2023. King Khalid International ranked second with a capacity of 39 million and a 96 percent usage rate.
In terms of international routes, King Abdulaziz International topped the list with 369, a 1 percent increase over the previous year. It was followed by Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Medina with 272 routes (up 5 percent), while King Khalid International saw a 6 percent decline to 165 routes. King Fahd International registered 85 international routes, down 8 percent.
On average, Saudi airports handled 189,000 international passengers and 162,000 domestic passengers per day. Domestic flights rose by 12 percent to 474,000, while international flights increased by 10 percent to 431,000.
King Abdulaziz International also led in total flight operations, with around 290,000 flights in 2024. King Khalid International followed with 274,000 flights, and King Fahd International reported 105,000.
Embraer Presses Ahead with Saudi Aviation, Defense Partnershipshttps://english.aawsat.com/business/5282728-embraer-presses-ahead-saudi-aviation-defense-partnerships
Embraer Presses Ahead with Saudi Aviation, Defense Partnerships
Embraer E195-E2 aircraft parked at the company’s headquarters (EPA)
Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer is pressing ahead with strategic memoranda of understanding signed with Saudi Arabia in 2023, company officials said, underscoring the kingdom’s growing weight in the global aviation market.
Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat during a tour and media briefing at Embraer’s main plant in Sao Paulo, the officials said the agreements remain active and are moving forward at a pace.
The understandings cover civil aviation, military and defense applications, and urban air mobility.
The remarks come as Saudi Arabia pushes through a sweeping expansion of its aviation and air transport sector under Vision 2030.
The program includes new national carriers, expanded regional and international air links, and efforts to localize aircraft maintenance and parts assembly.
That has made the Saudi market one of the most attractive and strategic destinations for the Brazilian aerospace group.
Embraer is the world’s third-largest commercial aircraft manufacturer after Boeing and Airbus. It has a commanding position in regional aviation through its E-Jets family, which seats between 70 and 150 passengers.
Through its electric aviation company Eve, Embraer is also developing electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, or eVTOLs, widely known as flying air taxis.
The field has opened the door to promising strategic partnerships with future transport projects in Saudi Arabia.
Cutting production time and tackling supply chains
At the factory briefing, held after the International Air Transport Association's annual general meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Embraer Chief Executive Francisco Gomes Neto said the company was confident it could meet its operating targets for the year.
He expects Embraer to deliver between 80 and 85 commercial aircraft in 2026, out of a total group delivery target of 255 aircraft, including executive jets and defense aircraft.
Neto said total revenue is expected to reach between $8.2 billion and $8.5 billion this year, a sharp rise from about $3.8 billion in 2020, when the company was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. The group aims to surpass $10 billion in revenue by 2030, or earlier, supported by growth in future businesses, led by Eve’s electric vertical aircraft program.
He said Embraer had cut factory production time by 28% between 2021 and 2026 through operational efficiency measures. Production of the E1 now takes less than a year, down from about 18 months previously. A shift he linked to closer work with suppliers as global supply-chain bottlenecks gradually ease.
The company’s backlog has also reached a record $32.1 billion, driven by strong demand across its main business units. Commercial aviation accounts for $14.5 billion of the backlog, alongside executive aviation, defense, services and logistics solutions.
Neto said the figure does not include several major strategic deals announced recently. When purchase options and future acquisition rights agreed with global airlines are included, Embraer’s potential order book could rise to about $52 billion.
On the sidelines of the IATA conference, Neto said Eve could eventually add about $1 billion to $1.5 billion a year to group revenue once production expands and manufacturing accelerates. He expects eVTOL vehicles to receive official certification and enter service in 2028.
He also said Embraer is awaiting a major Indian government military tender in the coming months for the purchase of 60 to 80 military transport aircraft. The company sees its C-390 Millennium as a leading contender against the US-made C-130 Hercules, particularly after Embraer’s alliance with India’s Mahindra Group.
Market dominance and moving past the engine crisis
Arjan Meijer, chief executive of Embraer Commercial Aviation, said the company’s new E2 aircraft family is gaining strong traction in the market.
He said demand is rising sharply and that Embraer has captured 76% of the global market share in its category, competing against Airbus’s A220. The E2 has attracted 24 customers worldwide, with 202 aircraft delivered and about 1.25 million flight hours logged.
Meijer also said the Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan engine crisis has largely receded. Only one or two aircraft are now grounded worldwide, he said, compared with about 22% of the global fleet in March 2025. He described the technical issue as effectively behind the company.
On China, Meijer said Embraer remains optimistic about gaining ground in the country’s aviation market through a dedicated team working there daily. He said the locally certified E2 family complements Chinese-made aircraft by offering capacity between the smaller C909 and the larger C919, giving Chinese airlines more flexibility to connect cities and reduce operating losses.
He acknowledged continuing structural challenges in China since the closure of Embraer’s Harbin joint venture in 2016, but said discussions remain active.
Meijer said Embraer has no current plans to develop aircraft larger than 150 seats, despite repeated customer interest. The company will instead focus on its core segment, where it sees the strongest prospects for profitability and efficiency.
Saudi Arabia, Türkiye Strengthen Supply Chains with Land Corridor Bypassing Maritime Chokepointshttps://english.aawsat.com/business/5282621-saudi-arabia-t%C3%BCrkiye-strengthen-supply-chains-land-corridor-bypassing-maritime
Saudi Arabia, Türkiye Strengthen Supply Chains with Land Corridor Bypassing Maritime Chokepoints
Saudi and Turkish transport ministers meet to strengthen cooperation (X)
At a time when the near-total closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the escalating U.S.-Iran war have put global supply chains under complex geopolitical strain since late February, a strategic land corridor is emerging from the heart of the maritime blockade, promising to redraw the map of international transport and trade.
Between Riyadh and Ankara, a surge in logistics activity is moving beyond conventional bilateral cooperation. It is shaping a secure, sustainable overland alternative for energy, goods and regional food supplies bound for global markets.
The official signing on Tuesday by Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistics Services Saleh Al-Jasser and his Turkish counterpart, Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, of comprehensive memorandums of understanding on railways, logistics operations and technology laid the operational foundation for that shift.
The agreements go beyond easing the immediate movement of goods. They aim to build a cross-border connectivity system that can serve as an operational line of defense against the current maritime crises.
According to the Turkish minister, the rail link rests on infrastructure that already exists in both Saudi Arabia and Türkiye. He said the Saudi side had completed its section up to the Jordanian border, while Türkiye’s rail network extends into Syrian territory. Iraq could later join the project, he added.
How the network connects
Technically and operationally, the corridor is taking shape as a connected rail network built around geography. The line starts in Istanbul, linking Türkiye’s advanced network to the Arab interior. It crosses Türkiye’s southern border into Syria through Aleppo, then runs south to Damascus, the project’s central anchor.
From the Syrian capital, the route crosses into Jordan, passes through Amman and reaches the Saudi border at the Haditha crossing. That strategic point is where the Syrian and Turkish networks meet the advanced infrastructure of Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR).
Inside Saudi Arabia, the route takes on major development weight. Its main and branch lines pass through major projects, such as the Port of Neom, which is seen as a future logistics corridor linking Red Sea ports. It then connects Makkah and Medina before integrating with the unified Gulf railway network.
That Gulf extension opens the way for the line’s long-term goal of reaching Oman and the Arabian Sea, giving it the profile of a comprehensive intercontinental land corridor that bypasses traditional maritime choke points.
Turning the kingdom into a transit hub
Logistics expert Nashmi Al-Harbi told Asharq Al-Awsat that the signed memorandums “translate in practical terms the vision of creating a land corridor that directly links the Gulf to Europe through Jordan, Syria and Türkiye.”
Al-Harbi said Saudi Arabia’s two maritime outlets, on the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf, combined with Türkiye’s position as Europe’s natural land gateway, “turn Saudi Arabia from a logistics endpoint into a genuine strategic transit hub connecting three continents.”
“The added value for supply chain resilience lies in drawing on the lessons of Red Sea disruptions, which proved that diversifying corridors has become an urgent necessity, not an economic luxury,” he said.
He said the project would create alternative land routes that strengthen transport resilience between Asia and Europe, away from the impact of maritime chokepoint closures or swings in marine insurance costs. Required investment in the line is estimated at about $5.5 billion, he added.
Al-Harbi said the project “fully aligns with the National Transport and Logistics Strategy, which aims to consolidate the kingdom’s position as a global hub.”
It also supports regional connectivity and the localization of the railway industry, he said, building on a strong base after the kingdom ranked fifth globally in container handling speed.
He said the project’s practical impact, including the exchange of best practices in freight, last-mile services and joint logistics centers, would cut cargo transit times between the Gulf and Europe from more than 30 days on traditional sea routes to less than two weeks by land once completed.
Al-Jasser and Uraloğlu shake hands after signing the two memorandums of understanding (X)
Alternatives as shipping costs soar
Logistics expert Hassan Al-Hilal told Asharq Al-Awsat the Saudi-Turkish memorandums represent “a strategic step that strengthens the kingdom’s role as a major center for re-exporting and distributing goods.”
He said the move comes at a critical moment for global trade. “Geopolitical disruptions in vital maritime corridors in recent months have caused record jumps in shipping and marine insurance costs, exceeding 300% compared with pre-crisis levels, as ships have been forced to take longer and riskier alternative routes,” he said.
Al-Hilal said the Saudi-Turkish logistics corridor gives suppliers and exporters “multimodal transport options, combining maritime shipping through Saudi ports with land and rail transport extending through Türkiye toward European and Central Asian markets.”
“This operational diversity directly helps reduce costs linked to storage and rehandling, and limits reliance on a single maritime route,” he said. “It ensures the stable flow of goods and products with high competitive efficiency, maximizing the benefits of the kingdom’s large investments in its port infrastructure.”
Key differences
Comparing the route with the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, or IMEC, Al-Harbi identified three key differences that he said gave the Saudi-Turkish route the edge.
“The first is the geographic route, which passes through Syria and Jordan to Türkiye, rather than IMEC’s passage through Israel. The second is the nature of implementation, as the current project is based on signed memorandums with a clear technical road map, compared with IMEC, which has been suspended since 2023. The third difference lies in the geopolitical dimensions. Türkiye, which had previously criticized the corridor for bypassing its territory, is returning through this new route strongly to the heart of the strategic Eurasian connectivity map,” he said.
Al-Hilal added what he called a decisive operational difference. IMEC, he said, is “a long-term strategic project that requires massive structural investment,” while current Saudi-Turkish cooperation is based on “maximizing the use of infrastructure that already exists” and on immediate operational links between two advanced logistics networks.
That makes it capable of delivering tangible results in the foreseeable term and at a much faster pace to meet current market needs, he said.
Joseph Salem, partner and head of travel, transport and hospitality at Arthur D. Little Middle East, said: “Reviving the Hejaz Railway is one of the most prominent infrastructure projects in the region’s modern history. The two memorandums of understanding signed in Riyadh between Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, one covering logistics services and the other railway technology, bring the project one step closer to implementation.”
He said an operational line would give the Gulf a direct overland trade corridor to Europe, reducing reliance on sensitive maritime passages at a time when supply chain resilience has become a growing strategic priority.
“The most important challenge remains implementation, whether in terms of financing, the stability of transit routes, or turning feasibility studies expected to be completed by the end of the year into actual investments,” Salem said.
“The importance of these two memorandums stems from the fact that they address the essential pillars of any cross-border railway project, including the standardization of technical specifications, signaling standards and regulatory alignment,” he added.
“If these elements are in place, the Hejaz Railway could regain its position within the next decade as one of the most important strategic land corridors linking Europe and the Gulf.”
Reviving a century-old legacy
The emerging land artery is not new. It is an ambitious revival, with a modern investment mindset, of a legacy dating back more than a century. It is an extension of the Hejaz Railway, which began operations in 1908 and linked Istanbul with Medina and Mecca through Syria and Jordan.
At the time, Damascus was a main anchor point, with lines branching north and south, as well as vital extensions to Lebanon, especially Beirut, and the historically Palestinian port of Haifa. The railway formed an integrated regional network before it broke apart during World War I.
From Neom to the border
The agreements follow advanced operational steps by the parties to the route. Ankara announced the activation of a trilateral memorandum of understanding with Syria and Jordan to modernize networks and connect the rail line between Türkiye and Aleppo, before integrating the Aleppo-Damascus-Jordan line.
Saudi Transport Minister Saleh Al-Jasser said the Saudi rail network already extends to the Jordanian border via the Haditha crossing, giving the project significant implementation flexibility. Joint technical studies will be completed by the end of this year to strengthen a sustainable land transport system, he said.
According to technical information, the new route will pass through the Port of Neom, linking the kingdom’s giga-projects to the heart of Europe through Türkiye.
International financing and operational pressure
In a related move that strengthens the corridor’s readiness, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, or AIIB, approved a 645.83 million euro loan, equivalent to about $750 million, as a first package to help finance a new 127-km green railway line in Türkiye.
The strategic project, known as the Northern Istanbul Railway Crossing Project, aims to bypass Istanbul’s congested urban area and provide a high-capacity land link for freight and passengers across the Istanbul Strait. It would help ease bottlenecks in international supply chains and connect Türkiye’s two largest airports to the rail network.
The Turkish project’s total strategic cost is estimated at about $8.27 billion, with participation from the World Bank and other international financing institutions to raise the share of Eurasian rail transport.
In the final analysis, the joint rail push lays the groundwork for an unprecedented shift in regional shipping by removing the time and geographic obstacles imposed by maritime disruption. Cutting goods delivery times to less than two weeks would redirect investment toward this emerging land artery, at the expense of traditional routes and suspended alternatives.
FII Institute Names Princess Maha bint Mishari Al Saud as CEOhttps://english.aawsat.com/business/5282409-fii-institute-names-princess-maha-bint-mishari-al-saud-ceo
FII Institute Names Princess Maha bint Mishari Al Saud as CEO
Princess Maha bint Mishari bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (Asharq Al-Awsat file photo)
The FII institute, run by a global nonprofit foundation of Saudi sovereign wealth fund PIF, has named Princess Maha bint Mishari bin Abdulaziz Al Saud as its CEO, according to the institute's website.
“With more than 25 years of leadership experience spanning healthcare, academia, strategic partnerships, and international engagement, Dr. Al Saud has built a distinguished career centered on creating impact through collaboration and institution-building. She has worked across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to advance initiatives that strengthen organizations, expand opportunity, and improve lives,” the website said.
Before joining FII Institute, she served as Vice President of External Relations and Advancement at Alfaisal University.
She has helped expand strategic partnerships, deepen international engagement, and elevate the university’s global standing in education, research, and innovation.
“A recognized advocate for leadership, healthcare transformation, education, and human development, Dr. Al Saud has represented Saudi Arabia at major international forums, including the G20, and the fourth Eurasian Women’s Forum,” FII Institute said.
“Dr. Al Saud holds an MBBS degree and is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, having completed her residency training at George Washington University. Her executive credentials include the Senior Executive Leadership Program at Harvard Business School, IMD Business School and she holds the prestigious, peer-reviewed distinction of Master of the American College of Physicians (MACP),” it added.
لم تشترك بعد
انشئ حساباً خاصاً بك لتحصل على أخبار مخصصة لك ولتتمتع بخاصية حفظ المقالات وتتلقى نشراتنا البريدية المتنوعة
