The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud opened Jeddah airport's new terminal on Tuesday, state media said, part of a push to increase foreign visitors to the kingdom and diversify its oil-based economy.
Jeddah is the main airport where pilgrims arrive before travelling on to Mecca to perform the religious haj and the umrah, the year-round lesser pilgrimage.
Theinauguration of the new Terminal 1 of King Abdulaziz International Airportbrings the airport to 810,000 square metres with the capacity to handle 30million passengers annually, state news agency SPA said.
The airportoperates flights to three international destinations and 21 domestic ones.
Economicreforms pushed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman aim to make the country anentertainment destination and a tourism hub.
Pilgrimageis the backbone of a plan to expand tourism under the crown prince's economicreform program, announced a year ago to diversify the economy away from oil.
Pilgrimscomprise the bulk of Saudi Arabia's 20 million annual foreign visitors, apartfrom workers and business travellers.
Officialsaim to increase the number of umrah and hajj pilgrims to 15 million and 5million respectively by 2020, and hope to double the umrah number again to 30million by 2030.
The government has approved plans to issue electronic visas for foreign visitors to attend sporting events and concerts, and is expected to announce details this month.
