KAIA Hajj Terminal
The KAIA Hajj Terminal in Jeddah receives Hajj and Umrah pilgrims; AZEIDK supplied, installed, tested and commissioned fire protection, alarm and security systems there.
About the project
The KAIA Hajj Terminal at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah receives pilgrims arriving for Hajj and Umrah. Inaugurated on 31 May 1981, it received its first Hajj season that year. The terminal was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill; its tent-like roof of Teflon-coated fibreglass cones was the world’s largest cable-stayed fabric roof when completed, and the terminal won the 1983 Aga Khan Award for Architecture. In 2017 the Hajj and Umrah complex could hold up to 175,000 pilgrims at a time.
Why fire and life safety matter in a pilgrim terminal
Pilgrims from many countries, speaking different languages and unfamiliar with the building, wait here in very large numbers. An alarm must reach all of them clearly, and evacuation must be managed in stages that move people to safe areas without congestion at the exits. Large open areas under a high roof also change how smoke spreads and how quickly it is detected, so detection must suit the space’s real geometry. Security systems help operators follow crowd movement and respond early.
AZEIDK’s role
AZEIDK supplied, installed, tested and commissioned fire protection, alarm and security systems at the KAIA Hajj Terminal, according to the project requirements.
Related reading: Smoke control and stair pressurization · Fire alarm systems
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