King Khalid International Airport

The King Khalid International Airport {{airport codes|RUH|OERK}} (Arabic: ???? ????? ???? ?????? or Matar el malik khalid ad dowali) is located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.It was the largest airport in the world by ground area (225 km) until King Fahd International Airport was completed in 1999, becoming the largest airport in the world. This area houses all the airport main facilities and installations including the terminals, mosque, the control tower and two parallel runways each 4200 meters long. It is the gateway to the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its heartland, is the national air transport center. It has been constructed to meet the increasing international and local air transport requirements for Riyadh region.

Transportation

Moving Sidewalks

Passengers going from one terminal to another at King Khaled International Airport will find moving sidewalks to help speed them on their way. The moving walkways, the first to be installed at any Saudi airport, are located in the three link buildings that connect the International and Domestic terminals.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

There is a total of 1,196 meters of the walkways, which are actually wide conveyor belts which operate at floor level and move at a speed of close to one meter per second.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Additional passenger conveniences in the terminal complex include 80 elevators and escalators. In the parking garages, 16 escalators are provided and two serve the mosque.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The escalators in the terminals are 1,220 millimeters wide. Those in the garages are 810 millimeters wide. Both are geared to move at a speed of slightly less than half a meter per second.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The elevators, escalators and moving walkways all have the latest safety equipment. Should a fine occur, the elevators would automatically be recalled to the main floors and the doors opened. The escalators and moving sidewalks are equipped with fire and smoke detectors which will cause them to stop automatically should a fire be detected.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Parking Facilities

The parking facilities are among the best to be found at any international airport in the world. Two large three-level garages have been constructed directly in front of the passenger terminals, one on either side of the airport mosque. They are connected to the terminals and to the mosque by pedestrian walkways under the arrivals level roadway. The design capacity of the garages is 11,600 vehicles. The garages are built of cost-in-place concrete and each covered level is 4 meters high. Escalators and elevators are available to serve the travelers, as well as stairways between the different levels.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Airbridges

KKIA was the first airport in the Kingdom to install airbridges, ensuring some of the fastest handling and turnaround times. Each terminal has eight gates with airbridges effectively making bus journeys between the terminal buildings and waiting aircraft a thing of past in Riyadh.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~