Located 35 kilometres north of Riyadh, King Khalid International Airport (KKIA) is the gateway to the Saudi capital. The 35-year old airport is undergoing a significant redevelopment and expansion program to support the capital’s industrial and economic growth and encourage tourism.

The project is part of a program led by the country’s General Authority of Civil Aviation to redevelop KKIA into a modern commercial airport designed to industry-leading standards with the ability to meet a future capacity of 24 million passengers per annum.

The program involves the complete refurbishment, electrical upgrade and expansion of Terminals 3 and 4, as well as significant airfield pavement reconstruction and the provision of a new electrical Load Centre to support the additional capacity.

The works were divided into three design-build packages with AECOM providing program, project and construction management services across all three. AECOM has been on site since 2013 ensuring the works are carried out efficiently and with limited disruption to the existing airport operations. The opening date for the refurbished terminal complex is scheduled for mid 2021.

With the aim of enhancing the quality of life for the city’s residents and ensuring long-term economic growth, Jeddah Municipality is making significant investments in the planning, engineering and construction of sustainable stormwater, flood-control, and wastewater infrastructure, known as the Jeddah Stormwater Drainage Program (JSDP).

Under Phase 1, AECOM provided consultancy services for the management of the program, from the preliminary engineering works to the supervision of the emergency and long-term solutions that safeguard the city against flooding.

The tasks undertaken by AECOM include:

• The implementation of dams and other flood control barriers
• Construction of drainage canals and stormwater reservoirs, resolving Jeddah’s most vulnerable flood points
• Preparation of comprehensive studies for undeveloped areas, including environmental plans for the entire Jeddah governorate
• Implementation of comprehensive infrastructure improvements to solve the sewerage problems in Jeddah

The new developments have provided a catalyst for advancing social, economic and urban growth in the region. The implementation of the JSDP has not only created an environmentally sound city, but one without the fear of future flooding or wastewater problems.

As the principal gateway to Makkah and Madinah, Jeddah is a key urban hub in the Middle East. Over recent decades it has experienced unprecedented population growth, from 50,000 residents in the 1940s to around four million today. This extraordinary rate of change resulted in fragmented urban development.

Jeddah Municipality engaged AECOM to help reshape and ultimately revive the city, transforming it into an innovative hub on the Red Sea. AECOM provided strategic planning, governance, spatial and urban planning services, landscape and environmental sustainability and infrastructure services.

Over a 30-month period, we worked with Jeddah Municipality to prepare a series of strategic plans, providing policies and a framework for enabling sustainable growth and integrated development within the city of Jeddah. The plans provide a coordinated approach to planning and project delivery across Jeddah including a hierarchy of centres that propose a mix of commercial uses and community services to support residential and employment populations.

To improve mobility, the new centres are connected by a new public transportation system. The plans also provide a green infrastructure network that promotes connected, high-quality public realm and environmental features that enhance resilience and sustainability.

With the aim of revitalizing Saudi Arabia’s educational system and enhancing learning facilities, AECOM was appointed by Tatweer Building Company (TBC) to design and project manage the delivery of over 8,000 new schools as well as maintain existing schools under the Ministry of Education’s governance.

Given the scope, magnitude and timeframe, the program required a flexible design solution capable of accommodating the program’s large geographic spread (the schools are spread across 3,000 villages and towns) education stage and capacity, local construction practices and the use of locally-sourced material.

AECOM is providing program management, construction management, capability building training and concept design for the project. We set up a program management organisation (PMO) for the client, and are delivering program strategy, an execution plan and policies and procedures to establish the client’s organizational structure, corporate and core business policies, as well as an operational framework.

A fully modular prototype design was developed using Building Information Modelling (BIM) to speed up the application of different educational options and site adaptation.

When complete, the program will have a number of social, economic and environmental impacts. It will close significant gaps between kindergarten and secondary schools. The program is also having an impact on employment opportunities in remote locations by creating jobs in the construction and maintenance sectors.

A new commercial deep-water port is providing a major gateway for cargo in and out of the Arabian Peninsula.

Located approximately 120 kilometres north of Jeddah along the coast of the Red Sea, King Abdullah Port is strategically located to serve the East-West transshipment of cargo as well as domestic volumes. It will eventually spread across 20 square kilometers and have capacity to handle in excess of 20 million containers per year, making it one of the top 20 container ports in the world.

AECOM has been involved in developing King Abdullah Port since 2011 when it was appointed by the Port Development Company to verify the designs for the EPC contract and supervise the construction of four berths. Since then, AECOM’s scope has expanded significantly with the supervision team becoming responsible for the construction of six container berths and a roll-on roll-off facility with a bulk handling terminal in the south of the port, providing a total of three kilometers of quay in the current stage.

The large infrastructure system along with port administration and offices for the Ministry of Interior, coastguard and customs, are supported by reverse osmosis water treatment and sewage treatment, and power plants making the development independent from the national water and power network.