This is according to Mohamed Al-Fadel, deputy general manager of the General Authority of Civil Aviation, who said that plans to receive Umrah pilgrims had been put in place well in advance.

The high numbers are because Ramadan this year coincides with the school holidays in many Arab and Muslim countries, Al-Fadel was quoted as saying by the publication.

He said the preparations included checking all equipment and systems inside and outside the facility such as the ATM machines providing foreign currency through three banks operating in the arrivals lounge.

“All measures were taken to boost the level of coordination between all bodies operating at the airport to achieve the highest levels of security and safety for travelers. We were keen, in particular, to reduce the time needed to process travel procedures,” he said.

He said all government and private agencies and bodies working at the airport, and in cooperation with TIBAH Airports Operation Company, a consortium led by TAV Airports, worked around the clock with 10 government agencies and other private companies to handle more than 350,000 Umrah pilgrims on board 1,046 international flights. There were 92 counters to serve passengers.

A source at Saudi Arabian Airlines said: “Prince Mohammad airport receives more than 450 direct international flights from east Asia, Europe, Africa and Gulf Cooperation Council countries during Ramadan, in addition to more than 180 scheduled flights.”

There are 16 travel gates in the new airport linked directly with planes through 32 jet bridges. In addition, there are 64 counters with staff to handle travel procedures, and 24 self-service counters. For the Haj season another 16 counters will be provided.

The runway is 4,335 meters long and 60 meters wide and can accommodate planes of all sizes. The airport also has the most advanced baggage operations system comprising 10 belts of over 4,000 meters.

Meanwhile, the Customs Department has also prepared a plan in advance to cater for the growing numbers of passengers.