(bright ambient music)
(aeroplane engine whooshing)
- I just arrived at the new terminal.
It's impressive, really impressive, look at this.
(bright ambient music)
- Hello. - Hi.
- Hi. - My name is Abdullah.
Welcome at New Jeddah Airport.
Let's go for a tour. - Let's go!
(bright ambient music)
- This is the check-in area as we walk.
We have like, 200 check-in counters, and 12 check-in rows.
Most largest terminal in the Kingdom,
and it works with the cutting edge technology.
- So Abdullah, I have never heard
about this terminal before.
Since when this terminal has opened?
- It was opened in 2018, and it's opening in phases,
like phase one we're gonna cover 30 million passengers.
The shape of the building,
it's two big half moons on the side
and the third one is at the top.
So we have three half moons.
(bright ambient music)
At New Jeddah Airport, we have a special entrance
for our premium passengers to arrive.
- Let's go check it out. - Yeah.
Our First Class check-in area.
It's all out, there is no check-in desk.
(bright ambient music)
- This area is the Saudia First Class check-in area.
This is good as you can get.
You get all the sofa and comforts sitting down to check-in.
In the First Class area, you also have this kiosk.
You can sit down using your kiosk,
but I think somebody else is gonna help you to check-in.
I don't know if this is gonna be popular
for First Class passengers, self check-in.
(bright ambient music)
You know what I like about in the check-in area,
every single row there is a Saudia classic aeroplane.
This row it has Boeing 707.
Look at this, DC-9, 707, DC-7, 720.
(upbeat instrumental music)
- Now Sam, I'm taking you into Domestic Departures.
- So we often forget,
this is also a domestic and international.
You have both.
(upbeat instrumental music)
Abdullah, I was looking at this sculpture here.
It looks like a paper aeroplane, right?
But they all have Arabic written on them.
What is this about?
- It's like an Islamic art
that's wishing the passengers a safe trip.
We have customer service agents
available all around the terminal to help the passenger,
and assisting them and answering their questions,
and improving their passenger experiences
inside the terminal.
This is the airport garden area.
It has 18,000 square metres.
It's located in the middle of the terminal.
It's a beautiful garden.
- [Sam] Yeah, and then,
but passengers cannot go outside, right?
This is just--
- It's not accessible for the passengers.
- It's not accessible, okay. - Yeah.
To the right, we have 46 boarding gates, but 94 aerobridges,
because some of the gates can support
either two small aircraft or one big aircraft.
In addition, we have 28 remote stairs.
(upbeat instrumental music)
- So Abdullah, I'm gonna ask you a question, right?
As a traveller, we all want to know,
there's only a small amount of flights
currently using the new terminal.
You're moving phase by phase,
so when do we expect other airlines can move into here?
- Actually we're expecting to move all the national carriers
including Saudia and other national carriers
from South Terminal to Terminal One in 2020 quarter one.
- Quarter one, 2020? - Yeah.
- That's coming soon, the next couple months.
So as they say.
(both speaking in foreign language)
- Right? - Right for that.
(speaks in foreign language)
The problem with mega terminal is lots of walking.
How far is it from check-in to the farthest gate?
- About one mile. - One mile?
- But don't worry, we have travelators
like the one we are using,
and we have buggies available everywhere.
- I think new airports means you're gonna burn a lot of fat.
(upbeat instrumental music)
- Hi.
- Hi. - Are you from Saudi?
- Yes, I'm from Saudi. - Really?
Nice to see ladies working the lounge.
- Nice to see you too.
(upbeat instrumental music)
- New terminal means new lounge.
This is the Saudia Al Fursan Lounge,
domestic departure lounge.
(upbeat instrumental music)
You can see, they love plum trees, they love dates.
A plum tree in the middle of the lounge.
How are you?
- I'm good, you want to try the Arabic coffee?
- Thank you very much.
Everywhere you get offered Arabic coffee in Saudi Arabia.
So, I asked people.
They told me this is a date and coffee bar.
(upbeat instrumental music)
I have to tell you, this is my favourite area this lounge.
It's by the window,
next to the green, peaceful looking garden.
It makes you feel very relaxed.
It really is.
- Are you enjoying the view, Sam?
- [Sam] Yes.
- This terminal we are focusing on the five sense includes,
what the passenger see, what the passenger hear,
what the passenger eats, what the passenger touch,
what the passenger feel.
- This counter here at the airport
is distributing holy water.
It's called Zamzam Water,
like my name Sam, but this is Zamzam.
All the people after Hajj, they finish,
they bring Zamzam water back home.
A five litre portable pack like this.
Two dollars for holy water, very good price.
(upbeat instrumental music)
- Sam, this is an aquarium.
It has one million litres,
and more than 2,000 types of fish.
- Wow, Finding Nemo's here in Jeddah Airport.
- On the lower floor, we have soon,
we will be having a train
taking the passengers to Mecca-Medina.
That will really make the journey much easier.
- So I visited lots of new airports this year.
Beijing Daxing and Jeddah, they have common similarities
because they have a train at the arrival area.
So when you arrive, you directly connect to that train
to go to your final destination.
It's a seamless mobility transportation.
- Okay Sam, I hope that you had
a great experience in New Jeddah Airport.
Our wish is to become
the largest hub airport in the Middle East,
and one of the top 10 airports
in terms of passenger satisfaction.
- I'm sure that many passengers
are looking forward to that positive experience.
Thank you so much for this. - Thank you.
(upbeat instrumental music)
(keyboard clicking)
- This is very new this terminal.
I want to check myself in on the self check-in kiosk.
Runway closed for two or three minutes,
so we can drive passed the runway down to the end.
So nice, so amazing!
Personally, I like this lounge better because this is new.
There's actually lots of room here.
- Welcome onboard our Saudi 787-9 Dreamliner.
- The service hospitality
is still wonderful in Middle East, Asia.
(light ambient music)
- We're going to see a beautiful floating mosque.
- You would think this is a very touristy area,
just to catch the tourists,
but here I've seen a few tourists,
but lots of residents still living here.
(aeroplane engine roaring)
At the airport on the top of the hill, there's 747s.
I just reached the mountaintop.
(Sam laughs)
A single female, not only from Saudi, she's from overseas.
- High five! (laughs)