Case study:

KKIA is the gateway to Saudi Arabia’scapital and a key player in the country’s aviation strategy. As part of SaudiVision 2030’s push for world-class infrastructure and services, KKIA sought to enhance passenger satisfaction and innovate the travel journey. The airport facedintense competition regionally and globally, and it aimed to climb in the SkytraxWorld Airport Awards rankings by improving service quality. Internally, RACalso needed to unify its corporate digital presence – creating a seamless extranet/intranetfor employees, partners, and vendors alongside the passenger-facing website. Inearly 2024, RAC set out clear objectives: provide passengers with a modern,personalized digital experience (from trip planning to departure/arrival),integrate real-time flight and service information, support multiple languages,and ensure the platform could scale to meet rising traffic demand.

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Challenges: Delivering on these goals meant overcoming several challenges. KKIA’s legacyweb platforms were fragmented and not mobile-friendly, making it hard fortravelers to get timely information. Content updates were slow, and there wasno personalization – every traveler saw the same content despite varying needs (e.g. business traveler vs. family with children). Additionally, the system hadto handle massive traffic volumes (tens of thousands of users duringpeak travel times) with high availability and performance. RAC also needed abetter way to manage digital content (images, videos, documents) andcollaborate with marketing teams and agencies in producing new content.Finally, the project timeline was ambitious – the airport wanted the new solutionup and running before the end of 2024 to start reaping benefits quickly.

RAC engaged Kogifi Saudi (incooperation with Crafton Middle East) to design and implement the new digitalplatform using Sitecore’s cutting-edge, cloud-based technologies. Over a six-monthperiod (April–December 2024), the joint team completely rebuilt KKIA’s webpresence on Sitecore XM Cloud – a modern headless content managementsystem – and integrated Sitecore Search for intelligent searchcapabilities and Sitecore Content Hub for content and asset management.The result was a unified, scalable solution powering both the public passenger website (kkia.sa) and the corporate RAC portal. Key features of theimplementation included:

• Modern Headless Platform: Sitecore XM Cloud     provided a cloud-native, headless CMS backbone for the new site. This architecture delivers lightning-fast performance and a snappy user experience, even under heavy load. The SaaS-based XM Cloud also means no infrastructure to manage or upgrade downtime – the site can automatically scale and stays up-to-date with the latest features. This ensured KKIA’s website is highly available and can grow cost-effectively as passenger numbers increase. Performance testing showed the new site     easily handling peak traffic, aligning with XM Cloud’s promise of fast, scalable delivery.
• Personalized, AI-Powered Search: The team implemented Sitecore Search to power an AI-driven search and discovery experience on the     website. This allows passengers to get hyper-relevant, personalized  results for their queries in real time. As soon as a user begins typing in the search bar, the system offers predictive suggestions and  surfaces content tailored to that individual. The search engine leverages AI and machine learning to understand user intent and even provides recommendation widgets (e.g. “You may also like”  or “Trending now”) based on context and past user behavior.  This transforms the site search into an intelligent travel assistant –     helping users find flights, services, or answers quickly – which boosts engagement and conversion. In short, search became a personalized  journey rather than a static list of links, significantly enhancing content discovery and user satisfaction.
• Tailored Passenger Experiences: Using Sitecore’s     experience management capabilities, the new platform delivers personalized  content for different traveler personas. For example, the site can  detect or ask for a traveler’s journey type (solo, family, special needs, etc.) and then highlight relevant information: a solo international     traveler might see fast-track security and lounge info prominently, while a family traveling with kids sees content about play areas, baby care     facilities, and family-friendly dining. Similarly, passengers with disabilities can quickly access information on accessibility services. This level of personalization ensures that each passenger receives content and recommendations suited to their needs in that moment –  improving the overall journey. Kogifi achieved this by combining  Sitecore’s personalization rules with integration to flight data and user context, so the content delivery adapts dynamically. The outcome is a highly individualized web experience that makes     travelers feel understood and well-served by the airport.
• Advanced Flight Info & Notifications: A cornerstone of the new KKIA website is a robust flight information system. The site pulls real-time data from airport operational systems to display live flight status, schedules, and gate information Travelers can search for flights and filter by destination, airline, etc., and see up-to-the-minute updates. Importantly, users can subscribe to     flight updates for any given flight – choosing to receive notifications via email, SMS, WhatsApp, or push notification when their flight status changes. This proactive alert feature keeps passengers     informed of delays or changes without requiring them to constantly check the website. By integrating with popular channels like WhatsApp, KKIA meets passengers on platforms they already use, enhancing convenience. The flight tracking and alert service has been very well received, reducing uncertainty and anxiety especially for those meeting inbound flights or managing tight connections.
• Multilingual,  Global Reach: Given Riyadh’s international passenger base, the website was launched in three languages (including English and Arabic) to cater to diverse users. The Sitecore     platform is designed for easy multilingual content management – content authors can create and manage variations in different languages from a     single interface. Moreover, it was integrated with AI-assisted translation solution. This means RAC can efficiently add more languages in the future,     using a combination of machine translation and human review to maintain quality. The multilingual approach ensures that visitors from various     regions can navigate and benefit from the site comfortably, in alignment with Saudi Arabia’s goal to be a global tourism and business destination.     Consistent terminology and branding are maintained across languages thanks to the centralized content repository.
• Unified Content & Asset Management: To streamline operations, the implementation leveraged Sitecore Content Hub as a central repository for all digital assets (images, videos, documents) and content items. This provides one single source of truth for the marketing and web content teams. Distributed teams – from RAC’s in-house content editors to external marketing agencies and creative designers – can collaborate within Content Hub. They use it to plan campaigns, create content, and manage workflows for approvals. The platform’s workflow and permissions ensure that content goes through proper review (for example, compliance checks or     executive sign-off) before publishing. This has streamlined cooperation between marketing agencies, creative teams, and web editors , breaking down silos in the content creation process. In practice, when RAC wants to launch a new promotion for an airport shop or update information about a service, all stakeholders work in one system – leading to faster turnaround and a more efficient content lifecycle. The Content Hub’s governance also guarantees brand consistency: assets and text are reused and repurposed easily, and outdated materials are retired     systematically. In short, Sitecore Content Hub has empowered the operational marketing teams with tools that make them more effective and     simplify everyone’s job in managing content.
• “Shop,  Dine & Explore” – Commercial Services Showcase: Another highlight of the new website is a rich airport     services directory branded as “Shop, Dine & Explore.” This section showcases all the amenities KKIA offers – from retail stores and duty-free  shops to restaurants, lounges, and transportation options. Each venue or service has a dedicated page with details like location, opening hours,     menus or product offerings, prices, and current promotions. By presenting this information online in an appealing way, the website doubles as a  marketing platform for the airport’s commercial partners. Passengers can discover, for instance, dining options before they arrive at the     airport, or see a list of available transportation services (taxis, car rentals, etc.) with booking info. RAC’s business team can easily update these listings with new promotions or seasonal offers. This not only enhances the passenger experience (by helping travelers plan their time at the airport), but also drives revenue for the airport and its vendors.     KKIA’s website essentially becomes part of the commercial strategy – engaging travelers digitally and enticing them to take advantage of on-site services and shopping opportunities.
• Integrated     Corporate Portal: Beyond the passenger-facing features, the project also delivered a revamped Riyadh Airports Company     corporate website and staff portal on the same Sitecore platform, integrating internal Sharepoint’s based intranet. Using XM Cloud’s multi-site capabilities, the RAC corporate site (which serves investors, stakeholders, and the general public for corporate info) and a secure employee portal were built to have a consistent look-and-feel and unified     content management. The employee/extranet portal provides staff and airport partners access to internal news, operational dashboards,     documents, and collaboration tools – all accessible with single sign-on. By consolidating these formerly separate sites into the Sitecore XM Cloud     environment, RAC benefits from easier maintenance and a cohesive digital ecosystem. Content Hub acts as the backbone for both external and internal content, ensuring brand consistency and up-to-date information     across all channels. This unification has broken down data silos and improved communication within the organization, as everyone now refers to     the same platform for information.

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The new Sitecore-powered digital platform for KKIA went live at the end of 2024, on time and on budget. It quickly began transforming passenger engagement. Key outcomes include:

Productivity | Time Savings | Deployment Speed | Page Load Speed | Google Lighthouse Scores | Go-to-Market Speed

• Improved Global Ranking & Satisfaction: In 2025, KKIA rose 11 spots to 24th in the Skytrax World Airport Awards – the highest ranking ever for a Saudi airport. Enhanced digital and on-ground experiences were credited, supported by smoother online interactions and stronger traveler feedback.
• Higher Engagement & Service Adoption: The website’s user-friendly design increased time on site and adoption of self-service tools. Thousands subscribed to flight alerts via WhatsApp/email, AI search improved navigation, and calls to customer service dropped significantly. Personalization features also boosted satisfaction across diverse traveler groups.
• Operational Efficiency & Reliability: Real-time flight and gate data improved transparency and reduced disruptions. In 2024, KKIA maintained an 86% on-time departure rate, while the cloud platform proved reliable during traffic spikes, scaling without downtime.
• Faster Time-to-Market & Agility: The project was completed in just six months. New features can now be delivered in weeks instead of months. For example, a new “Lost & Found” module was added within one month post-launch. Marketing teams can quickly create and update pages without IT support.
• Empowered Content & Marketing Teams: Sitecore Content Hub centralized asset management, eliminated duplication, and streamlined workflows. Updates that once took days now take hours, boosting productivity, accuracy, and morale across content teams.
• Business Growth & Strategic Impact: The platform enhances KKIA’s attractiveness to travelers and airlines, increases commercial exposure for retailers, and aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. It provides RAC with a future-proof, composable foundation for innovation and industry leadership.