The bigger and better new Haj terminal at King Abdul Aziz International Airport is serving thousands of pilgrims each day in the run-up to the Haj. The well thought out plan launched in 2000 to increase the capacity of the Haj terminal for more comfort and best services to the pilgrims is bearing fruits now. The Haj terminal, built when the new airport was first opened in 1981, is used only during the Haj season, and it caters to Makkah and Madina-bound passengers only. The terminal is the fourth largest in the world with a floor space of five million square feet (465,000m²) and is spread over an area of 100 acre (405,000m²). The terminal is well-known for its signature tent-shaped roof. The new Haj terminal can now accommodate 80,000 pilgrims at any given time. By 2025, its capacity will be increased to 9.2 million from 4.5 million now. “Every day almost 75 to 85 flights are arriving from different parts of the world, said Muhammad Khan of Haj information department at the terminal. The number of bays have been increased, with check-in counters and conveyor belts to help in quick clearance of the pilgrims, said an official at the terminal. “Earlier there were only three operating modules, but this year two more modules having 4 bays have been added. A module simulatneously handles passengers of four to five flights,” he said. The new expanded area of the terminal has bright lights, new waiting and prayer area facilities. The terminal has been divided into different zones of red, green, yellow, blue and orange according to different countries to keep pilgrims from one country together. The terminal also has new 24-hour open restaurants, medical camps, information desks, phone cards stalls and volunteers to help the pilgrims. “The plan is to provide world class facilities and services to the pilgrims,” Khan said. Several pilgrims Saudi Gazette spoke to admired the new facilities and expansion of the Haj terminal “ It is better than what I saw last time when I was here. The new facility has considerably eased congestion and expedited the immigration and custom procedure,” said Muhammad Isalm, an Indian pilgrim.
