Curly Tails
Deeplata Garde
10 May 2026
People travelling through Abha in the next few years might end up seeing cranes, construction zones and a much larger airport slowly taking shape nearby. Because Saudi Arabia’s plans to expand Abha International Airport are now moving into a more serious phase. Officials expect construction to begin in early 2027, and once everything is finished, the airport could handle up to 12 million passengers every year.
A lot of the planning work has apparently already been done behind the scenes. Engineering designs for the airport are said to be about 90% complete, which usually means the project is getting close to the stage where real construction planning ramps up properly.
Once work begins, officials estimate the construction phase alone could take around five years. So travellers probably shouldn’t expect a finished mega-airport anytime soon.
Earlier last year, a joint group involving Matarat Holding, the National Centre for Privatisation & PPP and the Aseer Development Authority confirmed that four separate bidders were competing for the project...
