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King Abdulaziz International Airport
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
King Abdulaziz International Airport
Gateway to the Holy Cities of Mecca and Medina.
- ›The Hajj Terminal, opened in 1981, was designed by SOM and features a vast tensile roof structure covering over 400,000 square meters.
- ›The New Passenger Terminal, inaugurated in 2018, is designed to ultimately handle up to 80 million passengers per year.
- ›The airport is one of the closest major international airports to Mecca, approximately 70 km away.
- ›The Hajj Terminal received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 1983.
- ›The airport covers an area of approximately 105 square kilometers.
King Abdulaziz International Airport serves Jeddah, Saudi Arabia's commercial capital and primary Red Sea port city. Opened in 1981, the airport has long been the world's busiest gateway for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims, handling tens of millions of passengers annually. A major new terminal complex, inaugurated in phases from 2018, has transformed the airport into one of the most architecturally ambitious aviation hubs in the Middle East.
- Terminal 1 (New North Terminal) — The modern centerpiece of the expanded airport, handling the majority of international and domestic flights with sweeping architectural forms inspired by desert landscapes.
- Hajj Terminal — A dedicated terminal exclusively serving Hajj and Umrah pilgrims, famous for its vast tent-like tensile roof structure and capacity to process massive seasonal passenger surges.
- South Terminal (Legacy) — The older terminal complex still used for select operations during transitional phases of the airport's ongoing redevelopment.
- Haramain High-Speed Railway connecting Jeddah Airport station to Makkah, Madinah, and KAEC
- Metered taxis available at designated ranks outside arrivals
- Ride-hailing apps including Uber and Careem operating at the airport
- Hotel shuttle services offered by major properties near the airport
- Rental car counters from Hertz, Avis, Budget, and local operators in the arrivals area
- Hilton Jeddah
- Marriott Jeddah
- Crowne Plaza Jeddah
- Movenpick Hotel City Star Jeddah
- Novotel Jeddah Tahlia Street
Inside the new terminal, passengers will find international fast-food chains, Saudi coffee shops serving qahwa and dates, and sit-down restaurants offering Middle Eastern cuisine. The Hajj Terminal has basic catering facilities scaled for high-volume pilgrim traffic rather than leisurely dining. Outside the airport, Jeddah's Al-Balad historic district and Corniche waterfront offer outstanding local seafood and traditional Saudi dishes just a short drive away.
- Book the Haramain High-Speed Railway ticket in advance online, as trains to Makkah and Madinah sell out quickly during Hajj and Umrah seasons.
- Dress modestly before leaving the terminal, as Saudi Arabia's public dress code applies immediately upon exiting the airport.
- Non-Muslims are not permitted to enter Makkah; ensure your destination and transit plans are clear before booking onward travel from the airport.
- Currency exchange counters and ATMs are available airside and landside, but rates are generally better at city banks or exchange offices in downtown Jeddah.
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King Abdulaziz International Airport is a major international airport serving the cities of Jeddah and Mecca in Saudi Arabia, located 19 kilometres (12 mi) north of Jeddah and covering an area of 112 square kilometres (43 sq mi). In terms of annual passenger count, the airport is consistently the busiest in Saudi Arabia and one of the busiest in the Middle East, owing partly to its unique role in the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Opened in 1981, it was built to replace the now-demolished Jeddah International Airport located in Al-Kandarah, and is named after the founder of Saudi Arabia, King Abdulaziz.
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