The King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Reuters
The King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Reuters
The King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Reuters
The King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Reuters

Saudi Arabia welcomes record 62 million air travellers in first half of the year


Aarti Nagraj
  • English
  • Arabic

Saudi Arabia reported a sharp rise in air passenger traffic in the first half of the year to exceed pre-pandemic levels as the kingdom continues to focus on diversifying its economy away from oil.

The kingdom reported a 17 per cent annual increase to a record 62 million passengers as the number of flights increased 12 per cent to 446,000, "well above pre-pandemic levels", the General Authority of Civil Aviation said in a statement on Friday.

Low-cost carriers registered growth of 38 per cent on international routes and 22 per cent on domestic routes.

Air cargo also rose 41 per cent annually to 606,000 tonnes in the first half of the year.

Overall, Saudi Arabia’s air connectivity expanded to 163 destinations, a 23 per cent increase on 2023, Gaca said.

"Saudi Arabia is now more connected to the world than ever before, delivering record numbers of passengers, flights, air cargo and connectivity during the first half of 2024," said Abdulaziz Al-Duailej, president of Gaca.

“Saudi Arabia is creating unprecedented opportunities for global aviation and the private sector."

The kingdom is investing heavily in aviation and tourism as part of its Vision 2030 strategy, which seeks to diversify its economy away from oil.

It aims to increase the aviation sector's contribution to gross domestic product to 7.8 billion Saudi riyals ($2.08 billion) and create 35,000 jobs by 2030.

Saudi Arabian tourism - in pictures

The Saudi Aviation Strategy also aims to extend the kingdom's connectivity, triple annual passenger traffic, establish two global long-haul connecting hubs and increase air cargo capacity, according to Gaca.

Saudi Arabia's aviation sector has already contributed $20.8 billion to its GDP, with aviation-related activities accounting for a further $32.2 billion in tourism receipts, Gaca said in a report in May.

The aviation sector alone has enabled 241,000 jobs and contributed to supporting a further 717,000 jobs in the tourism-related areas, the report said.

The kingdom is currently expanding aviation infrastructure, including airports and airline services.

In October last year, the kingdom also introduced reforms to help its aviation sector boost competitiveness, attract investors and increase transparency as part of a transformation plan that aims to attract $100 billion in private and public investments to the industry by 2030.

More than 100 companies offered bids to participate in the Abha Airport public-private partnership project to expand capacity from 1.5 million to 13 million passengers, Gaca said on Friday.

Meanwhile, the kingdom's new airline Riyadh Air, which aims to begin operations next year, signed an agreement with US-based Delta Air Lines this week.

As part of the agreement, the Saudi airline will be Delta's exclusive partner in Riyadh and beyond.

It will allow them to collaborate on flight times and routes, sell tickets on each other's flights and extend to other services, such as maintenance, repairs, ground handling and training, they said.

The airlines also said the partnership would include a non-stop service on Delta between the US and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.

No US airline currently offers non-stop flights to Saudi Arabia.

UAE gold medallists:

Omar Al Suweidi (46kg), Khaled Al Shehhi (50kg), Khalifa Humaid Al Kaabi (60kg), Omar Al Fadhli (62kg), Mohammed Ali Al Suweidi (66kg), Omar Ahmed Al Hosani (73), all in the U18’s, and Khalid Eskandar Al Blooshi (56kg) in the U21s.

WOMAN AND CHILD

Director: Saeed Roustaee

Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi

Rating: 4/5

Timeline

2012-2015

The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East

May 2017

The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts

September 2021

Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act

October 2021

Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence 

December 2024

Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group

May 2025

The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan

July 2025

The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan

August 2025

Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision

October 2025

Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange

November 2025

180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs

Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8

Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm

Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km

Price: Dh380,000

On sale: now 

The specs
 
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
First-round leaderbaord

-5 C Conners (Can)

-3 B Koepka (US), K Bradley (US), V Hovland (Nor), A Wise (US), S Horsfield (Eng), C Davis (Aus);

-2 C Morikawa (US), M Laird (Sco), C Tringale (US)

Selected others: -1 P Casey (Eng), R Fowler (US), T Hatton (Eng)

Level B DeChambeau (US), J Rose (Eng) 

1 L Westwood (Eng), J Spieth (US)

3 R McIlroy (NI)

4 D Johnson (US)

What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE

Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.

Groom and Two Brides

Director: Elie Semaan

Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla

Rating: 3/5

LA LIGA FIXTURES

Friday Celta Vigo v Villarreal (midnight kick-off UAE)

Saturday Sevilla v Real Sociedad (4pm), Atletico Madrid v Athletic Bilbao (7.15pm), Granada v Barcelona (9.30pm), Osasuna v Real Madrid (midnight)

Sunday Levante v Eibar (4pm), Cadiz v Alaves (7.15pm), Elche v Getafe (9.30pm), Real Valladolid v Valencia (midnight)

Monday Huesca v Real Betis (midnight)

Updated: July 12, 2024, 9:03 AM