Reflecting the international nature of the teams that helped to build it, the $431-million Terminal 5 facility at King Khaled International Airport is the new crown jewel of the Saudi Arabian world gateway. The 106,000-sq-meter facility can accommodate seven large-wing aircraft or 16 medium-size aircraft. The project also includes a 122,000-sq-m, 2,404-space parking garage, an airport operations center, other airport facilities and related infrastructure. Offering both modern-day flexibility for airport operations and a sleek contemporary look, owing to its triangular shape and hexagonal roof, the terminal also honors its heritage with features that evoke Saudi Arabian art and architecture.

The region’s plentiful sunshine is harnessed to create energy efficiency. More than 5,000 people from 25 different nationalities worked on the project, alongside active airfield operations and adjacent metro construction, but there were no fatalities over more than 22 million work-hours. A majority of the project management activities were handled in the U.K., Spain, Dubai and the Netherlands.

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