RIYADH — Emir of Eastern Province Prince Saud bin Naif inaugurated on Sunday the expanded Airport of Hafr Al-Batin governorate in Qaisumah. The opening ceremony was also attended by Governor of Hafr Al-Batin Prince Mansour bin Muhammad; Minister of Transport and Logistics Eng. Saleh Al-Jasser; Director General of Passports Lt. Gen. Suleiman Al-Yahya and President of the General Authority of Civil Aviation Abdulaziz Al-Duailej. Speaking on the occasion, Prince Saud bin Naif highlighted the keenness of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman on developing the system of the civil aviation sector and the Kingdom's airports to keep pace with the latest international standards. "Civil aviation is an active part of the transport sector in achieving the target of the Saudi Vision 2030 due to the Kingdom's strategic position to be an important hub connecting the three continents of Asia, Africa, and Europe. The expansion of Hafr Al-Batin Airport in Qaisumah will contribute to meeting the increasing demand for local flights, and expanding in the future to include regional flights, facilitating access to the governorate, in addition to the creation of job and investment opportunities for Saudis in various sectors," he said. On his part, Hafr Al-Batin Governor Prince Mansour bin Muhammad said the expansion project will contribute to raising the quality of life in the governorate and provide distinguished services for citizens and expatriates. Speaking on the occasion, Minister of Transport and Logistics Al-Jasser stressed that the transport and logistics sector is an essential artery for the boom of the national economy as it is interconnected with several major sectors such as tourism, industry, and trade. "The expansion of Hafr Al-Batin Airport in Qaisumah is based on the national strategy for transport and logistics." He said the expansion project of the airport was inaugurated with a double capacity, and these developments took place based on the strategic location of Hafr Al-Batin governorate, and the infrastructure that qualifies it to own an international airport that links it to the world and makes it easily accessible. The airport expansion project includes increasing the areas of the domestic and international departure lounges by 238 percent, bringing the total area to 2,300 square meters. The capacity of Qaisumah Airport has been increased to reach 367 percent annually. The airport will provide services to more than 700,000 passengers during one year, in addition to replacing conveyor belts, raising the efficiency of air navigation devices, and increasing commercial areas and government offices, which will further facilitate services for travelers. The emir also attended the signing ceremony of a number of development projects between the municipality of Hafr Al-Batin and private sector companies.
