King Salman Air Base (, ), is an

Royal Saudi Air Force The Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF; ) is the military aviation, aviation branch of the Armed Forces of Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabian Armed Forces. The Royal Saudi Air Force currently has wings, squadrons, and a special forces unit dedicated to comba ...

(RSAF) air base that is currently under construction. It is aimed at relocating RSAF operations from the old Riyadh Air Base to the new site, which was demolished between 2021 and 2022 for

Saudi Vision 2030 Saudi Vision 2030 (, sometimes called Project 2030) is a government program launched by Saudi Arabia which aims to achieve the goal of increased diversification economically, socially, and culturally, in line with the vision of Saudi crown pri ...

History

Originally served Riyadh was the former Riyadh Air Base, it was located at . In December 1983,

King Khalid International Airport King Khalid International Airport (; ) is an international airport located about north of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This airport consists of five Airport terminal, passenger terminals with eight aero-bridges each, a mosque, and parking facilities ...

was opened, which led to the airport becoming a

(RSAF) air base. ; Status It's currently demolished to construct King Salman Park, the airport grounds are now converted into construction sites and hills and the Air Base is demolished for the sake of the project. ; Reason for closure Originally, the airport was located at a far distance from the city shown in a 1966 declassified satellite image of

Riyadh Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the Riyadh Governorate. Located on the eastern bank of Wadi Hanifa, the current form of the metropolis largely emerged in th ...

. However, soon by the late 1970s, the airport was surrounded by housing, meaning the construction for a new airport was necessary. In 1983,

was opened, so the airport was converted into a military airbase. The airbase was used until it was demolished in 2020–2021.

Construction of the new Air Base

The Ministry of Defense and Royal Saudi Air Force begun the relocation from the former King Salman Air Base to the new site. On 14 May 2020, the site was handed over to its contractors. It is located on a 45-square-kilometer site in southwest Riyadh. The construction included new facilities such as security facilities, runways, yards, aircraft maintenance facilities, public facilities, residential, and administrative areas. The project totaled up to 100 buildings, each equipped with its own emergency generator. The Naseem Al Namaa company was contracted to install wide electrical LV & MV networks and telecom networks. The Samnan Group was responsible for providing tanks, control panels, pumps, and other fuel systems. The work was overseen by engineers. By 2024, both runways were paved. On 5 January 2025, the Riyadh Municipality begun a comprehensive development project to improve traffic movement at the entrance of the air base and Al-Nafud Road. This included the implementation of excavation and backfilling works to prepare infrastructure, in addition to rainwater drainage networks. Works were also being made to pave roads and the installation of lighting systems. The additions are expected to open in June 2025, contributing to the Kingdom's Vision 2030. King Salman Air Base also headquarters the 10th Aviation Wing RSAF.

References

External links

Airports in Saudi Arabia {{SaudiArabia-airport-stub

History

Construction of the new Air Base

See also

References

External links