The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been selected to host the 31st World Route Development Forum (Routes World 2026), a global event that shapes the future of air connectivity.
The event will be led by the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), in partnership with the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) as tourism partner, the Air Connectivity Program (ACP) as air connectivity partner, and Matarat Holding as airport partner, and organised by Tahaluf.
Routes World is an international platform where airlines, airports, tourism authorities and aviation stakeholders plan and negotiate future air services. Each year, the event attracts thousands of aviation decision-makers, supporting the growth of international travel and tourism.
The selection of Riyadh as host city highlights Saudi Arabia’s growth as a global aviation hub under Vision 2030. In 2024, more than 128 million passengers travelled through the Kingdom’s airports, a 15 per cent increase on the previous year and 25 per cent above pre-pandemic levels. In the first half of 2025, airports handled 66.7 million passengers, 467,000 flights and 575,000 tonnes of cargo.
Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO of STA, noted that Saudi Arabia is opening new links between people and places, with visitor numbers rising six per cent in 2024. Majid Khan, CEO of ACP, said the event highlights the Kingdom’s commitment to growing its tourism and aviation sectors, while Steven Small, managing director of Routes, added that strong visitor spending and modern aviation infrastructure make Riyadh an ideal host for the forum.
Riyadh’s King Salman International Airport is expected to handle 120 million passengers by 2030 and 185 million by 2050. King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah is expanding its capacity from around 50 million today to 80–114 million by 2030, reaching 100 million by 2035. The Kingdom is also investing in new airlines and infrastructure, including the launch of Riyadh Air by the end of 2025, which will serve over 100 international destinations.
Riyadh’s successful bids for World Expo 2030 and the FIFA World Cup 2034 show confidence in its ability to host major events. Hosting Routes World 2026 will further strengthen the Kingdom’s role as a global connector between Asia, Africa and Europe.
GACA president and chairman of Matarat Holding, Abdulaziz Al-Duailej, said: “Hosting Routes World 2026 is a major milestone in our journey to position Riyadh and the Kingdom as a central hub for global aviation. The decision recognises Saudi Arabia’s aviation growth, infrastructure investment programme and Vision 2030 tourism and economic growth agenda.”
