Saudi Arabia’s main airport – King Khalid International Airport (KKIA), in Riyadh – saw a record month of commercial activity in July, with duty free revenues rising by 12% to a new monthly high, according to the airport’s official figures, reported by the influential global business and retail travel intelligence outlet the Moodie Davitt Report.
The Daa – which operates both Dublin and Cork airports – operates KKIA’s Terminal 5.
July 6,7 and 8 were record days for KKIA, with each of them all generating higher single day duty free revenues than any other single day in the airport’s 40-year lifespan.
July’s duty free figures were also 68% up on July 2019, before Covid wreaked havoc on the international tourism industry.
The Daa’s Terminal 5 contract is one of three the Irish airport operator has in Saudi Arabia. Earlier this year, it won a 5-year contract to operate Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport – which acts as the main entry point for international arrivals for the annual Islamic Hajj pilgrimage.
The Daa will manage, support and advise on airport operations, aviation business development, facilities management and non-aeronautical revenues at the hub.
The Daa will also be operating the new Red Sea Airport in Tabuk, north-western Saudi Arabia.
