Rabigh, King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah and Mecca in the south. According to the Saudi Railways Organisation, the stations will be “aesthetically iconic” buildings, taking into account Islamic architectural traditions and designed by international consulting engineers Buro Happold and architecture firm Foster + Partners. Stations will feature shops, restaurants, mosques, car parking, a helipad and VIP lounges. According to Foster + Partners, “the stations are conceived not only as
gateways to their respective cities but also as civic social centres, filled with places to meet, shop, eat and shelter from the sun. Each station uses the proposed modular design in different ways, with variations in colour, to signify the four cities served while remaining emblematic of the HHSR system.” Altogether, the large, flexible stations will cover an area more than 30 times the size of London’s Trafalgar Square and will accommodate an anticipated 60 million passengers by 2012, expected to increase to 135 million passengers by 2042, the firm said. Another key enabler for religious tourism is the expansion of Jeddah’s
King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA) and Madinah’s Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport. According to Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation, KAIA “will be a landmark economic development for the region and the nation, capitalising on the Kingdom’s ambitious growth plans and the authorities’ efforts for Saudi Arabia to enhance the status of Jeddah as an international hub.” Te masterplan will be developed in three phases until 2035, when ultimate capacity is expected to reach 70 – 80 million passengers per year. Phase one of the project includes a state-of-the-art terminal facility with a capacity of 30 million annual passengers, scheduled to be completed in 2014, doubling its current capacity. During its first phase, KAIA will operate as both a domestic and international hub and will accommodate the new Haramain high-speed rail service. Te first phase also includes the initial stages of development of a cargo
village and Airport City, driven by private sector investment. According to the authorities, the new KAIA airport also offers “increased opportunities for involvement of the private sector, to encourage commercial dynamism, quality and variety in the new airport development.” According to the authorities, a strong emphasis is placed on environmental sustainability throughout design, construction and subsequent operation. To reduce the pressure on King Abdulaziz Airport, the main gateway to pilgrims, Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Airport in Madinah is being expanded to reach its first phase capacity of 30 million passengers by the end of 2014. Expansion plans include the construction of new passenger terminals as well as an expansion of the existing Hajj terminal with the aim of “facilitating the movement of the arrival and departure of the Hajj and Umrah pilgrims and secure their safety, comfort and offering them the best services.” Te Saudi Government is aiming to split the arrival and departure of pilgrims between the two airports by implementing a one-way journey whereby pilgrims who arrive in Jeddah would go to Makkah, then to Madinah and depart from there. Vice versa, pilgrims who arrive in Madinah would go to Makkah, then to Jeddah and depart from there. “Tis represents a huge potential for retail in Madinah considering that pilgrims prefer to shop at the last destination before leaving,” said Khaled Tash, Vice President of Marketing and Sales at KEC in Madinah.
Making place In addition to infrastructure development, the Kingdom is also currently undergoing massive real estate development to accommodate the influx of religious tourists over the coming years and to address the current shortage of available hotel rooms for pilgrims, especially during peak seasons such as Ramadan. In Makkah, Jabal Omar Development Company is currently constructing the Jabal Omar development, a residential project in central Makkah, designed to “provide decent housing for pilgrims and
JUNE 2012 I CITYSCAPE I 17
Image: Foster + Partners
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