Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport ranks as the world’s third best
This marks an impressive 30-place advancement from last year
Passing time at the airport is usually such a chore, but not so at King Khalid International Airport (RUH) in Riyadh, which has just been crowned the third-best airport in the world for 2025 by AirHelp, a travel tech company that tackles flight disruptions.
According to the 2025 AirHelp Score, RUH has made a remarkable leap from 33rd to 3rd place worldwide, with a score of 8.47, making it the second-highest ranked in the Middle East and across the largest global airports.
And it’s set to get even bigger. Expansion works are underway to further improve its services and facilities in bolstering Riyadh’s role as a global hub for international travel and trade.
Without a doubt, Saudi Arabia’s aviation sector has experienced significant growth, marked by record passenger numbers, an expanding fleet, and new international partnerships – all aligning with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 objectives.
Dammam’s King Fahd Airport also made it into the top 10, proving once again that Saudi Arabia is playing catch-up when it comes to air transport excellence in the region.
In the overall global airport ranking, airports in the Middle East are climbing the ladder. Muscat International Airport in Oman follows closely with the same score as RUH, placing it third in the Middle East and fifth overall.
Not surprisingly, leading the Middle East is Doha Hamad International Airport in Qatar, which earned an impressive 8.52 points, securing second place globally and the title of the region’s top-performing airport. The airport also came out on top when evaluating the largest airports, handling over 250,000 flights each year.
The 2025 AirHelp Score ranks 250 airports across 68 countries. In the report, airports were assessed in three key categories of punctuality, customer opinions, and food & shops. Cape Town International Airport in South Africa ranked the world’s top-performing airport, achieving an impressive 8.57 points overall.
The top 10 global airport ranking is as follows:
- Cape Town Airport, South Africa
- Doha Hamad Airport, Qatar
- Riyadh King Khalid Airport, Saudi Arabia
- Brasilia – President Juscelino Kubitschek Airport, Brazil
- Muscat Airport, Oman
- Panama City Tocumen Airport, Panama
- Durban King Shaka Airport, South Africa
- Salt Lake City Airport, USA
- Bergen Flesland Airport, Norway
- Dammam King Fahd Airport, Saudi Arabia
The AirHelp Score is a ranking of the best and worst airlines and airports in the world. AirHelp has been publishing the AirHelp Score since 2015 to help passengers better plan their flights. The Score allows passengers to see what treatment they can expect from airlines and airports based on data.
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