There has been a significant surge in pilgrim numbers, with over 18 million overseas Umrah pilgrims visiting in 2025, marking a 214% increase since 2022
The Royal Commission for Makkah City & Holy Sites (RCMC) is planning to develop an airport in Mecca as part of broader efforts to upgrade the city’s transport infrastructure.
According to local media reports, RCMC CEO Saleh Al-Rasheed said: “Approval has been secured for the strategic and economic investment directions to develop Mecca Airport to global standards, aimed at serving millions of visitors.”
He added that RCMC intends to collaborate with the private sector to develop appropriate investment models, without affecting the feasibility of airports in neighbouring cities.
In 2019, Mecca’s local government and Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Finance signed an agreement to allocate state-owned land for the Al-Faisaliah airport project, according to local media.
The airport was planned to be located within Al-Faisaliah City, a 2,450-square-kilometre real estate development in western Mecca, extending from the Haram boundary to the Red Sea coast at Al-Shuaiba.
Providing an update on the Mecca Metro project, Al-Rasheed said that feasibility studies and preliminary designs have been completed.
In September last year, RCMC invited contractors to attend an early market engagement event for the long-planned metro network.
In an explanatory document issued ahead of the 21 September meeting, RCMC’s General Transport Centre said it aimed to gauge market interest in the multibillion-dollar project and gather feedback on its proposed procurement approach.
MEED exclusively reported in June 2024 that the project had been restarted. Current plans envisage a four-line network (Lines A–D), comprising 89 stations and three depots, to be implemented in three phases between 2032 and 2045.
These transport infrastructure investments come amid a surge in pilgrim numbers. The kingdom recorded more than 18 million international Umrah pilgrims in 2025, representing a 214% increase since 2022.
READ THE APRIL 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF
Economic shock threatens long-term outlook; Riyadh adjusts to fiscal and geopolitical risk; GCC contractor ranking reflects gigaprojects slowdown.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the April 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> AGENDA: Gulf economies under fire > GCC CONTRACTOR RANKING: Construction guard undergoes a shift > MARKET FOCUS: Risk accelerates Saudi spending shift > QATAR LNG: Qatar’s new $8bn investment heats up global LNG race > LEADERSHIP: Shaping the future of passenger rail in the Middle East |
To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
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