Saudi Arabia's Jeddah airport soars to top three in Middle East airport rankings
JEDDAH: King Abdulaziz International Airport has secured third place in the 2024 Airport Connectivity Index for the Middle East, marking a significant milestone in Saudi Arabia's ascent as a global aviation hub.
The ranking was announced at the Air Connectivity Conference 2025, held in Shanghai, where the Airports Council International Asia-Pacific and Middle East unveiled its annual index.
KAIA followed Dubai International Airport and Qatar's Hamad International Airport in the regional rankings, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
This recognition underscores both KAIA's growing operational capacity and Saudi Arabia's broader Vision 2030 goal of transforming the Kingdom into a leading logistics and transportation center. As part of that strategy, Saudi Arabia aims to handle 330 million passengers annually, connect to 250 international destinations, and transport 4.5 million tonnes of cargo by 2030.
Mazen Johar, CEO of Jeddah Airports Co., said the latest ranking reflects the airport's progress in expanding its air network and enhancing connectivity.
'This milestone demonstrates our commitment to operational excellence and aligns with our strategy to establish KAIA as a pivotal global hub,' he said in a statement to SPA.
Johar noted that the airport's improved ranking is a result of sustained efforts to boost competitiveness, upgrade infrastructure, and elevate passenger experience in line with national transport goals.
KAIA also held the third spot in the 2023 edition of the index, announced during ACI's annual assembly in Riyadh.
As part of its long-term development plans, JEDCO is implementing upgrades aligned with the National Transport and Logistics Strategy. These enhancements aim to increase KAIA's passenger capacity to 114 million annually by the end of the decade.
In 2024, KAIA served 49.1 million passengers — up 14 percent from 2023 — marking the highest annual passenger volume recorded by any airport in the Kingdom. The busiest day was December 31, when over 174,600 passengers passed through the airport. December also set a monthly record, with traffic exceeding 4.7 million passengers.
In the Asia-Pacific rankings, Shanghai Pudong International Airport claimed the top spot, followed by Incheon International Airport in South Korea and Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport. Hong Kong International Airport was recognized as the most improved airport in terms of connectivity across both regions.
Headquartered in Hong Kong with a regional office in Riyadh, ACI Asia-Pacific and Middle East represents airports in some of the world's fastest-growing aviation markets. The Airport Connectivity Index— developed with PwC in 2023 and refined in its third edition — measures network scale, frequency, destination economic weight, and connection efficiency.
According to ACI, air connectivity in the Middle East grew 28 percent year on year, while Asia-Pacific saw a 13 percent increase, reflecting a 14 percent average growth across both regions. These gains signal a robust post-pandemic recovery and the continued momentum of global air travel.
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