JEDDAH — Abdulaziz Al-Duailej, president of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), said that all the remaining 22 airports in the Kingdom is expected to be transferred to the Matarat Holding Company, a subsidiary of GACA, during the year 2022. He confirmed that the privatization of airports is proceeding at a rapid pace. There are a total of 35 international, regional and local airports in the Kingdom. Al-Duailej said this while addressing the inaugural ceremony of the expansion of the new station of Saudi Logistics Services Company (SAL), a member of the Saudi Arabian Airlines Corporation, at King Abdulaziz International Airport here on Monday. Eng. Saleh Al-Jasser, minister of transport and logistics, was also present on the occasion, Al-Eqtisadiah newspaper reported. "Privatization is being implemented vigorously in the Kingdom as we have put Abha airport on the path of privatization and it is in the final technical and economic studies. Similar is the case of Taif and Qassim airports, all of which are among the projects proposed for privatization," the GACA chief said. "As per the government directive, GACA will be transformed into a legislator and regulator, and all the construction, operation and management works will be referred to the Matarat, and then it will be transferred to the Public Investment Fund," he said. Referring to the investment opportunities in the sector, Al-Duailej said that the aviation sector is promising and the opportunities in the sector are numerous, whether in aviation, airports, airport operation and management, or in support services including shipping, catering, maintenance and ground handling services. This sector is rich and full of investment opportunities for local and international investors, he pointed out. With regard to the number of applications submitted for investment in the sector, he indicated that the authority has many applications under various phases of study related to the establishment of airports, ground handling services, shipping and all areas related to the sector. It is noteworthy that Matarat, which is owned by GACA, has been forging the transformation of the airports industry, and hence its role is to guide, support, and lend a hand to all its fellow companies. It is guided by core values of reliability, excellence, and alliance so as to ensure every airport becoming a gateway to innovative customer experience and a global benchmark of management, as well as achieve operational efficiency and revenue generation.
