I always wonder if having unlimited money is all it takes. There's only so many excavators in the world, and hiring every single one would probably tank someone's economy

This is the point. I k ow plenty of travelling women and families who will take other routes because the area is associated with such a poor view (read: personal risk or inconvenience) for women.

I'm not US based and on our way to Europe there are a couple of options for transit hubs.

Other middle eastern airlines (Emirates, Qatar, Etihad, Turkish) have all the same advantages and a decades-long head start on Saudi. Simply building a fancy airport isn't all that it takes to compete in what is already a cut throat industry.