OERK

King Khalid International Airport

King Khalid International Airport contains five passenger terminals (only three of which are in use), with eight aero-bridges each, a mosque, parking for over 11,000 vehicles, an additional Royal Terminal (for the kingdom's guests, government heads, and Saudi royal family use), a central control tower, and two parallel runways, which are each 4,260 meters long.

Airport history

King Khalid International Airport opened by HRH King Fahd on November 16, 1983, and began performing scheduled flights on December 5th of the same year. Until then, what is now Riyadh Air Base served commercial flights to and from Riyadh. Riyadh's increased international and local air transport requirements for Riyadh made the change necessary. The Royal Saudi Air Force operates the Riyadh Air Base, which is much closer to the city center.

Airport location

King Khalid International Airport 35 kilometers to the north of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

Airport facts

● This airport served as an alternate landing site for NASA's Space Shuttle. 

● Passengers heading from one terminal to another can take moving sidewalks to do so. The moving walkways, the first to be installed at any Saudi airport, are located in the three link buildings that connect the international and domestic terminals. 

● This facility has five separate firehouses, with several modern firefighting vehicles, and trained firefighters. The location also has security equipment and a security force.

What to dress for

Riyadh forecast