Located in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, King Fahd International Airport (KFIA) is by far the largest airport in the world, occupying an area of 300 square miles (776 square km).
To contextualize this fact, the airport is larger than the nearby country of Bahrain and seven times larger than Manchester, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.
The airport plays a momentous role in linking Saudi Arabia to the rest of the world with an astonishing capacity of over 10.9 million passengers in 2023.
Characterized by its strategic location as a gateway to the Eastern Province of the Kingdom, the airport contributes to facilitating international trade and enhancing the economic development.
The number of domestic and international destinations is increasing with 65: 49 international and 16 domestic destinations last year.
KFIA is a home for one of the world’s shortest commercial flights with Bahrain International Airport, only 47 miles distance between both destinations.
Dammam and Dubai air route is the most popular one in the airport with approximately 70 flights per week connecting the two cities. The second most popular destination is Cairo, the Egyptian capital, with 34 flights per week.
Named after King Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the airport was designed with a unique combination of modern and Islamic style architecture as the mosque is situated at the center with a 46,200m² landscaped area.
KFIA is luxuriously furnished with a large number of restaurants, banks, cafes, gift shops, taxi stands and currency exchange platforms.
Aramco, the Saudi Arabian Oil Company, supplies and maintains the fuel facilities for the aircrafts inside the airport.
With 37 renowned airlines, KFIA connects Dammam city with Europe, Southeast Asia, South Asia and the Middle East.
In 2009, KFIA was featured by the landing of the Antonov AN-225 Mriya, the largest aircraft in the world. The airport was its stopover on its way from Ukraine to Tanzania.
The airport contains three terminals:
- The main terminal: for all international flights.
- Aramco Terminal: for domestic flights operated exclusively by the Saudi national carrier.
- The Royal Terminal: which exclusively serves the Saudi Royal Family, some government officials and VIP guests.
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