Red Sea International Airport, located in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, was developed by Red Sea Global, formerly The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC). It serves as a luxury transit hub to The Red Sea and AMAALA destinations and beyond.
The state-of-the-art airport is a part of the Red Sea Development Project. Undertaken to support Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy, The Red Sea Project is a planned luxury tourism destination that includes an archipelago of 90 natural islands, volcanoes, desert landscapes and mountains. It will feature luxury hotels, and residential units, as well as space for commercial, retail, and recreational areas.
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The development of the international airport plays an important role in transforming the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The Red Sea Airport project was awarded the schematic design stage no objection certificate (NOC) by Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) in early 2020. The regulator approved the airport location, conceptual airspace and aeronautical studies, airside master plan, and runway orientation.
Red Sea Global appointed daa International as the operator of the new airport in January 2021.
Red Sea Global celebrated the first domestic flight, operated by Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA), to the airport in September 2023. The first international flight to the airport was operated by flydubai in March 2024.
Location of Red Sea International Airport
The Red Sea International Airport is situated 90km south of Al Wajh, a coastal town on the Red Sea, which is in the western part of Saudi Arabia.
The airport is strategically located within a three-hour flying time for approximately 250 million people. It serves as a key entry point for tourists and travellers to Saudi Arabia and the surrounding region, with excellent accessibility to a large population within a short flying distance.
Red Sea Airport design and features
Red Sea Airport extends over 28km², an area equivalent to approximately 3,920 football pitches, and features three helipads and parallel taxiways.
The airport architecture is inspired by the surrounding desert landscape and represents the Red Sea Project’s vision.
Throughout the arrival and departure, the guest areas are embellished with high-quality designs matching the superior interior design standards in the resorts, for the hospitality focus and level of service beyond traditional International Air Transport Association (IATA) standards.
The airport offers a next-generation smart experience through advanced design features and the use of the latest technology. It offers travellers an efficient, contactless airport experience.
It includes biometric technology integrated with law enforcement, airport security systems and automated hotel check-in and check-out processes.
It provides a unique digital experience for the guests by managing the boarding passes, passport control and luggage handling by mobile app, without any physical check-in area.
Red Sea Airport terminal building details
The terminal building design incorporates desert features that include the green oasis and the sea. The design offers a calm and luxurious experience throughout the terminal. The internal green oasis has a garden, providing a relaxed, resort atmosphere for passengers.
Upon arrival, passengers follow the natural spatial flow down through the oasis landscape and proceed to the welcome centre at a lower ground level, where they are received by the Red Sea staff.
Departure areas have larger and more relaxed spaces to accommodate longer waiting times. The five departure suites are designed to enable a hassle-free transition from cars to planes.
Smaller and more intimate spaces allow passengers to enjoy a private aircraft terminal experience.
The design of the roof shells is influenced by the desert dunes and cantilevers on the landside and airside to protect passengers from the sun.
Runway at Red Sea Airport
The main runway of the airport is approximately 3,700m-long Code F runway. The airport also features a 525m-long Code B seaplane runway.
Sustainability features of the airport
The airport relies entirely on renewable energy for its power needs, supporting a carbon-neutral, net-zero era for airport designs and operations.
The project is aligned with LEED green building standards, and the design focuses on utilising shaded areas and natural ventilation, reducing the use of air conditioners.
The landscape design throughout the airport comprises internal and external gardens, to offer visitors a tranquil respite before taking off or driving on to the resort.
The gardens depict the organic form of the building, to bring the beauty of Saudi Arabia’s colourful and textured landscapes with a mixture of local and native species, enriching the experience and well-being of travellers.
The extensive research and environmental modelling of the internal garden environments ensured the most responsible and appropriate mix of plants, whereas the harsher outer environment dictated a rich, diverse and resilient mix of exclusively native species.
The use of local and native species reduces the overall water consumption of the project.
Contractors involved
The Red Sea Project master plan was developed by TRSDC in collaboration with WATG, an architectural services company, and Buro Happold, an engineering consulting services provider.
The design contract for the airport was awarded in October 2019 to the architectural company Foster + Partners, which worked with engineering subconsultant WSP Global, to deliver the project.
TRSDC contracted a joint venture (JV) comprising Nesma & Partners Contracting and Almabani General Contractors for airside infrastructure works in July 2020.
The airside infrastructure works included the construction of the runways, parallel and link taxiways, as well as pavement works. The contractual scope also includes aeronautical navigational aids, airside utilities, aerodrome ground lighting, helipads, roads, and buildings.
In November 2022, Red Sea Global appointed Reem Emirates Saudi, a design and manufacturing company, for the construction of the facade and roof shell of the airport’s landside facilities.
Gillespies, a landscape architecture company, was the landscape designer of the airport.
