The Design Solution has been appointed by Riyadh Airports Company to carry out commercial planning as part of the major redevelopment programme at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport (KKIA).
The contract is part of the long-term national programme to radically update the kingdom’s airports, including raising capacity and enhancing infrastructure at KKIA. Pragma Consulting also forms part of the team advising on the commercial aspects of the project.
The development of terminals 3 and 4 creates opportunities for adjustment to passenger operations across all the airport’s terminals, including the re-allocation of domestic and international passengers and a stronger commercial planning approach throughout.
In 2016, The Design Solution was appointed by daa International to carry out commercial planning and design of the new Terminal 5 at Riyadh followed by the design of the walk-through travel value store. The latest development will expand capacities, improve services and dramatically transform the commercial offer, with each terminal having a walk-through duty free shop and its own shops, cafés and restaurants.
The development of terminals 3 and 4 creates opportunities for adjustment to passenger operations across all the airport’s terminals, including the re-allocation of domestic and international passengers and a stronger commercial planning approach throughout. The planning includes a new centralised commercial area – post-security – between terminals 1 and 2, before passengers depart through either of the two terminals that will then act essentially as piers.
“We are honoured to have been selected to support Riyadh Airports Company in developing its ambitious vision and, following our retail design work here in 2016, we are also delighted to once again be partnering with Pragma in its consultancy role,” says Graeme Johns, Planning Director, The Design Solution. “The team has managed to achieve a classic commercial plan for both terminals 3 and 4, creating a central heart in each terminal immediately after the walk-through duty free stores. These feature unusually high shopfront zones where the concessionaires can maximise their impact. The potential for T1 and T2 is very exciting with the major new extension being designed specifically with commerce in mind but also delivering huge operational benefits for departing passengers.”
Graeme Johns, Planning Director, The Design Solution: “The team has managed to achieve a classic commercial plan for both terminals 3 and 4, creating a central heart in each terminal immediately after the walk-through duty free stores.”
Gelban AlGelban, VP Commercial, Riyadh Airports Company, outlines the company’s vision: “We are undertaking major transformations in Riyadh Airports as part of privatising the aviation sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, therefore we are always seeking opportunities to optimise KKIA’s commercial returns, enhance the passenger experience and play a major role in promoting our strategic goals, such as being among the top 50 airports in the world. Our work with The Design Solution produced an outstanding design through redefining our commercial layout to serve our passengers needs and create a newly unique experience.”
Abdulaziz Algoufi, Commercial Analytics Manager, Riyadh Airports Company, adds: “Designing the commercial layout in airports is always challenging since it depends on intense analysis that aims at defining the perfect commercial offer while enhancing the passenger’s journey. Given the demonstrated track record of The Design Solution, appointing them was a key success factor as their expertise is highly capable in accommodating our commercial strategy and desired passenger experience through an outstanding data-driven design. In fact, the new design aims to enable KKIA to increase its commercial offering by 40% and enhance the passenger experience through an additional 25% area allocated for passenger facilities.”
Traffic at KKIA reached a record 27.9 million in 2018. Aligned with the kingdom’s Vision 2030, the airport is carrying out a three-phase radical redevelopment affecting almost every area of the KKIA estate, including infrastructure enhancement, runways, baggage areas, corridors and aircraft parking, and a new road linkage network for the airport.
