The second edition of the Saudi Airport Exhibition (SAE) will open its doors for a two-day run this month (December 19) in Riyadh drawing over 250 global companies from 50 countries. The spotlight will be on the mega airport infrastructure projects worth $100 billion under way in the kingdom.

The biggest of the projects being showcased will be the King Salman International Airport to be built in Riyadh, one of the world’s largest, and most sustainable airports, with a target to accommodate 120 million travellers by 2030. This is amongst a host of major new airport expansion and airport PPP projects being developed under Vision 2030, said the event organiser.

As part of the mega economic development plan, Saudi Arabia is launching two new state-owned airlines to handle an unprecedented rush of visitors following the most relaxed visa regime since 2019, enabling people from across the globe to explore its history, arts and culture, including six World Heritage Sites.

According to the organiser, the kingdom’s emergence as the most promising travel and tourism market can be judged by several trends and developments.

The fastest growing tourism market in the G20 has set for itself the goal of handling 330 million passengers and 4.5 million tonnes of air cargo by the end of this decade along with having a 250-plus destination connectivity from across its 29 airports, of which the King Abdul-Aziz International Airport in Jeddah is getting expanded to accommodate 80 million passengers by 2035.

 In its debut edition last year, SAE had attracted over 150 exhibitors from 25 countries who showcased their products and services to airport industry professionals in the Arabian Peninsula’s largest and most populated country, said the organisers.

The B2B exhibition will have on its sidelines three co-located events, including the first-ever Airport Excellence Awards for professionals and organisations in five categories; the Global Aviation Issues Conference; and Women in Aviation (WIA) General Assembly.

The only airport-dedicated event in the kingdom is being organised by Niche Ideas and NCX with Matarat Holding, the General Authority for Civil Aviation’s arm that transforms and promotes Saudi airports, as the platinum sponsor, and leading Saudi local organizations, including APSCO, Metco, SGS and Saudi Sicli as gold sponsors and Ground Handling Logistics as badge sponsor.

On the upcoming show, Daksha Patel, the Event Director, said: “As a premier global airport development event, we will once again highlight the impressive aviation growth, technologies and business expansion opportunities over this decade in the kingdom which remains amid a massive socio-economic and infrastructural transformation with its economy crossing the $1 trillion mark for the first time in history, ahead of its 2025 target.”