His Majesty King Abdullah on Thursday opened the Queen Alia International Airport’s (QAIA) new passenger terminal.

The project, which creates around 20,000 direct and indirect job opportunities, was ranked by the International Finance Corporation among the 40 best public-private sector partnerships.

Minister of Transport Alaa Batayneh said the new 103,000 square metre terminal was built at an estimated cost of USD750 million. It is expected to increase Queen Alia International Airport’s capacity to nearly 12 million passengers per year after the completion of the final phase, while the old building has a capacity of only 3.5 million passengers annually.

The new terminal features ample food and beverage venues, shopping outlets, children’s play areas, clear signage, adequate flight information screens, comfortable seating in waiting areas, and a wide range of new customer assistance services.

His Majesty inaugurated the terminal during a ceremony attended by Her Majesty Queen Rania, senior officials and diplomats.