King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA) is the main airport serving Jeddah, the second-largest city in Saudi Arabia and a major gateway to the holy cities of Makkah (Mecca) and Madinah (Medina). It is one of the most important airports in the Middle East because it handles both global international travel and millions of religious pilgrims every year for Hajj and Umrah. The airport is named after King Abdulaziz Al Saud, the founder of modern Saudi Arabia.