British engineering consultancy Mace has been appointed the lead consultant for the mega King Salman International Airport project, located in Saudi capital Riyadh.

Its scope of work includes project management, design management, cost consultancy and procurement.

On completion, the airport will be the world’s largest airport project spread over a sprawling 57-km area with six parallel runways. It will also include existing terminals at King Khalid International Airport in addition to 12 sq km of airport support facilities and other logistics real estate.

The airport aims to accommodate up to 120 million passengers by 2030 and once fully operation, it will boast a capacity of 185 million passengers by 2050 annually.

Mace has extensive experience in airport design and construction, with a proven track record of delivering large-scale and complex projects worldwide. It had worked on London’s Heathrow Airport for over 30 years.

For the giant airport project, Saudi authorities had sealed deals with a host of top global players in the airport construction sector. Its masterplan was designed by British architect Foster+Partners, while US-based Jacobs handled the infrastructure design.

The new airport aims to achieve LEED Platinum certification by incorporating cutting-edge green initiatives into its design and will be powered by renewable energy. It will also have a dedicated terminal for the country’s national carrier, Saudia.