Wind Cones & Illuminated Wind-Direction Indicators installations at King Khalid International Airport (RUH)

Wind-direction indicators that give pilots and tower a continuous read of surface wind near the threshold and on helipads: primary and supplementary windsocks, internally and externally illuminated wind cones, frangible cone-and-mast assemblies, and self-contained solar/LED units for remote or unlit sites. These are sized, coloured and sited to ICAO Annex 14 and FAA AC 150/5345-27 part numbers (truncated-cone geometry, minimum response speed, obstruction-light integration) and form a distinct, dedicated product class with its own specialist suppliers rather than a line item of the AGL fixture catalogue. Buyers specify by cone length, lit vs unlit, mains vs solar, frangibility and corrosion rating for coastal and desert sites.

A sprawling 1980s-era masterplan set in desert pink sandstone, RUH was designed by HOK when Riyadh was still a secondary capital. Four decades later, the city has outgrown it. Terminals 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 now share the load as traffic hit 37.2 million in 2024, and new carrier Riyadh Air prepares to launch before the airport itself is eclipsed by King Salman International just across town.