The King Abdul Aziz Aiprort in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, would be able to receive about 30 million passengers annually, after the completion of the first phase of development projects.
"The new project would create a port with huge capacity of 30 million passengers. The design would be a blend of original modern design and Islamic styles, such as the crescent moon, a major symbol of Islam," Abdullah Rahimi, President of the General Civil Aviation Authority said in Jeddah.
He said this during discussions with members of the Shaura Council and the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), when they toured the completed area of the north and south terminals at the Jeddah Airport.
He said: "Two new landing areas are also going to be added, equipped with the latest systems to handle the next generation of giant aircraft.
"We would also add new halls and terminals, linked to highways in Jeddah, as well as roads for port employees."
He said on completion of the works, high speed trains would transfer passengers from the airport in Jeddah to Mecca and Medina to reduce the ordeal passengers often went through to get to their destinations in the Kingdom.
The Development Project Manager at the Airport, Adnan Zuhairi said the project, which would be in three phases, was expected to be completed by 2011, and would have halls measuring about 400,000 cubic metres, constructed between the eastern and central areas of the airport.
"Several commercial projects would be started during the next stage and 6.5 kilometres of departure and arrival halls have been designed for commercial use."
Mr Zubairi encouraged the private sector to invest in the airport, which would have large areas reserved for duty-free shops, aircraft supplies, aviation institutes and services such as hospitals and health centres.