The move will allow passengers traveling via Jeddah, especially Southeast Asian Muslims coming from Europe, to perform Umrah. It will also encourage many Muslims to travel via Jeddah for Umrah.

According to the source, transit passengers would be able to visit Makkah using the new Haramain train service that links the two holy cities of Makkah and Madinah with the business city of Jeddah.

Muhammad Abid, acting director general of KAIA, said the new KAIA expansion project was designed to make it a major hub between the East and the West.

“We expect KAIA will receive a considerable share of the international air travel market in addition to providing investment opportunities to the private sector and creating more jobs for Saudis,” Abid said.

Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation minister, recently kicked off the construction work on the new KAIA terminal, which will cost SR27.1 billion ($7.2 billion).

The project, to be completed in 36 months, will increase the airport’s annual capacity from 17 to 30 million passengers. Saudi Binladin Group was awarded the contract in November following a bidding process.

The country's largest builder will construct a single 670,000-square-metre (more than 7 million square feet) terminal with 94 aircraft bays to replace the two aging facilities currently handling airport traffic.

Prince Fahd bin Abdullah, assistant minister of defense and aviation, inspected progress of work for the new airport on Tuesday and said KAIA was not affected by the Jan. 26 floods. “Plans have been made to protect the airport from floods,” he added. He urged contractors not to delay work, blaming security arrangements at the airport. “Arrangements have been made for the entry and exit of workers and equipment to implement the project while taking adequate measures to ensure airport security,” he added.

Arabnews