Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — More than 99.86 million passengers used Saudi airports last year, according to official data released on Saturday by the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA).

The number of passengers last year rose to 8 percent compared to 2017. The number of flights in 2018 registered 4.1 percent growth compared to 2017.

The top destination for passengers traveling out of Saudi Arabia was the UAE followed by Egypt, Pakistan, India and Turkey.

Some 35.8 million passengers used King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA) in Jeddah, registering the highest rate of passenger movement in 2018.

King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh came second with 27.9m passengers, King Fahd International Airport in Dammam third with 10.4m passengers, Prince Muhammad Bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah fourth with 8.8m passengers, and Abha International Airport fifth with 4.5m passengers.