Haj Terminal Gets a Facelift

The King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA) in Jeddah got a major facelift before the annual pilgrimage last year.
After a year of work on developing and modernising the airport, pilgrims were able to see the difference with new terminals, arrival lounge and special rooms for sick pilgrims.
Makkah Governor Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, who inspected the airport’s Southern Terminal before Haj, praised the development.

Prince Khalid pointed out that this was a vital first step, the next one being the construction of a new airport. “I expect the next phase to be even more advanced,” he said.
The airport receives the largest number of pilgrims. Covering an area of 100 square kilometres, it is the largest airport in the Kingdom.
Seven new terminals received the pilgrims side by side with the old terminals. According to Khaled Al-Khaibari, head of media for the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the new terminals have the latest technology to link various parts of the airport, including the use of moveable bridges.
“The new terminals have the capacity to receive 3,700 passengers every hour in prime time,” he said.
The expansion work included the construction of a new aircraft parking facility west of the Haj Terminal as well as modernisation of ground lights system and information technology infrastructure.
The Pilgrims Lounge at the airport as well as the accommodation facility was upgraded to serve the pilgrims in the best possible way.
The Pilgrims Lounge at the Haj Terminal that provides all the services and utilities a pilgrim would require could be considered an independent city in view of its size and potentials.
With a capacity to serve 80,000 people at a time, the lounge is one of the largest roofed airport lounges in the world and comprises two separate lounges with each one covering 240,750 square meters separated by a garden with a width of 160 meters. It can also be expanded when the continuously rising number of pilgrims requires it.
“After recent refurbishment, the Pilgrims Lounge accommodates six inbound and five outbound flights with a capacity of 3,800 incoming pilgrims and 3,500 outgoing pilgrims in an hour,” Fadil Jakhdar, director of operations of the Pilgrims Lounges said.
Jakhdar added that the developmental projects of the lounge included an integrated health centre equipped with most advanced technology in addition to an emergency centre.
The tent-shaped lounge covers 210 tents with each one of them 2,025 square meters and rises in a conical shape with five meters diameter at the top. It is made of fibreglass with a coating of teflon which passes light but blocks sun’s heat.
Massive construction and refurbishing activities at the Haj Terminal have turned it into a modern hi-tech terminal capable of handling millions of guests of Allah every year.

Hajj Magazine, Vol 65, February 2010
Extract of article by Abu Ali