Saudi Arabia

Over the last decade, Saudi Arabia has emerged as the largest aviation market in the Middle East through multi-billion-dollar investments in its airlines, airports, and aerospace industry. Aligned with the ambitious Saudi 2030 Vision – which seeks to create millions of new high-skilled jobs, foster economic diversification, and transform the Kingdom as a global hub connecting Asia, Europe, and Africa, Saudi Arabia has embarked on a comprehensive aviation development programme. This vision has positioned Saudi Arabia among the world’s top aviation and air cargo routes. The Saudi air transport sector has contributed approximately $20.2 billion to GDP, with an additional US$16.2 billion spent by foreign tourists in 2018. Projections indicate a remarkable growth of 126% over the next 20 years, generating around US$82.3 billion of GDP and almost 1.2 million jobs by 2037. Several key factors contribute to this success:

Proximity: 90% of Saudi Arabia’s 35 million population lives within two hours drive of an airport
Connectivity: 50% of the world’s population lives within a 5-hour flight
Passenger Traffic Growth: 5.6% CAGR passenger traffic growth is anticipated until 2040
Capacity Expansion: 330 million annual passengers capacity will be created by Saudi airports by 2030
Job Creation: 10,000 jobs to be created for Saudi nationals across the aviation industry by 2023

Air transport is integral to achieving Vision 2030, as Saudi Arabia aims to connect with over 250 destinations and secure a spot among the top five global air passenger transit hubs. It is expected to experience the fastest passenger traffic growth in the Middle East from 2020 to 2040. To support this vision, the Kingdom has launched the National Transport and Logistics Strategy, involving an investment of over $130 billion in transport-related projects, including establishing a new airline, airport expansions, and tripling airport capacity by 2030. With 28 main airports of varying sizes, the strategy focuses on expanding four of the Kingdom’s six international airports and approximately 90 percent of regional airports.