Saudi opens new Arar airport with the capacity to serve one million passengers annually

Saudi Arabia has opened the new Arar airport project in the northern borders region with the capacity to serve more than one million passengers per year, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

The project, built at a cost of SAR382m, has the capacity to handle more than 10,000 flights per year, and marks a “qualitative shift in the field of air transport for the northern border region”, according to Saudi’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA).

It aims to cater to the growing number of travellers and the development of new destinations in the region.

اليوم .. افتتحنا آفاقاً شمالية جديدة
تعبّر عن رؤيتنا الطموحة ورحلتنا نحو الريادة

?| مشاهد من حفل افتتاح #مطار_عرعر_الجديد#آفاق_شمالية_جديدة pic.twitter.com/YkUOg9je5O

— هيئة الطيران المدني (@ksagaca) February 17, 2021

It has six travel gates, with two passenger bridges gates in the new terminal that can accommodate four planes at one time, and four gates that can serve airplanes parked airside.

It also features 10 check-in counters and 12 passport control counters in the arrival area and eight counters in the departure area. The main passenger terminal is equipped with 900 seats.

The airport also has an “advanced” luggage handling system with two conveyor belts.

The car park can accommodate 616 vehicles.

In terms of design, the airport’s exterior design forms the letter “Al-Ain”, which symbolises the first letter of the city of Arar, as well as the shape of the visual eye.

The airport will initially have flights to and from the capital Riyadh operated by Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia), with plans to also have other domestic routes and carriers.

The new Arar airport is part of GACA’s strategy to develop a modern airport system as part of the kingdom’s vision 2030.

The authority is working to develop a network of international and domestic airports to accommodate the growing demand and increase in the number of travellers in various airports around the kingdom.