One of the largest states in Asia is located mainly on the territory of the desert, and therefore air traffic between the regions of the country is the most popular. Of the several dozen airports in Saudi Arabia, only a few are ready to receive flights from abroad, and there are no direct flights from Russia to the country in the regular schedules of air carriers. You can get from Moscow to Dammam, Jeddah or Medina with transfers in Kuwait, Amsterdam, Dubai or Frankfurt. Travel time may take about 10 hours, taking into account connections.
Saudi Arabia International Airports
The capital airport of Riyadh, King Khalid, is not the only one accepting international flights:
- The largest air gateway in the country is Dammam King Fahd. The city where the airport is located is a major international port. Details on the website - www.pca.gov.sa.
- King Abdulaziz Airport in Jeddah is the main airport during the Hajj. It is here that planes with pilgrims to Mecca land, and the terminals can accommodate up to 80 thousand people at a time. Seasonal flights to Jeddah are operated by airlines of the absolute majority of countries whose population is Muslim, including the Russian Utair from Kazan. During the Hajj, hundreds of aircraft land here daily, including planes from Pakistan, Turkey, Tunisia, Yemen, Morocco, Oman and dozens of other countries.
- The air gates of Medina itself are not yet capable of receiving a huge number of pilgrims, and therefore the list of airlines flying here is much more modest. Emirates, Oman Air, Turkish Airlines, Etihad Airways fly to Medina regularly, but several other carriers join them during the Hajj. The plans include the reconstruction of the airport and its expansion.
Metropolitan direction
35 km separate the capital of Saudi Arabia from the airport of King Khalid. Four passenger terminals, parking for 11 thousand cars, two parallel "take-offs", each of which has a length of 4260 meters - the structure is amazing in its scale.
Terminal 1 is used by airlines that are not part of the SkyTeam alliance. Terminal 2, on the other hand, accepts the aircraft of these carriers and the local Saudia. Domestic aircraft land at Terminal 3. The terminals are connected by passages and offer passengers all the modern infrastructure - Duty Free shops, restaurants, hotels, bank branches, currency exchange, a medical clinic, VIP lounges and car rental offices.
World record holder
The Saudi Arabia airport, 20 km north-west of Dammam, is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest in the world in terms of territory - its area is larger than that of Bahrain.
Three of the six terminals serve passengers arriving from cities in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
Transfer to the city is convenient by taxi or a rented car, which can be rented in the arrivals area.
