Saudi Gazette report RIYADH – The Shoura Council directed on Monday the General Organization for Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) to present a time-bound plan to Saudize the posts of pilots at the national flag carrier. The Council session, chaired by its President Sheikh Abdullah Al-Asheikh, also demanded the organization to work on improving employment condition of pilots, co-pilots and the flight crew with regard to promotion and other service benefits. The Council took this decision after listening to the report of the transport, communications and IT committee, prepared on the basis of the annual report of the organization, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The Shoura demanded the organization to speed up measures to set up special online account for each beneficiary in the government and private sectors. It also endorsed a recommendation from a member asking Saudia to set up social responsibility program. The Council called for carrying out a survey by a specialized national agency about the standard of services and satisfaction of passengers with an objective to further improve them. It also instructed the organization to include details of the airline's privatization drive in its annual reports. The national carrier's privatization process is in the final stages. Four major sectors are marked down for privatization in 2014, a senior official said in January. Abdullah Al-Ajhar, vice president for public relations, said that the sectors included medical services, Saudi Airlines Real Estate Development Company, Saudia Private Airline and Prince Sultan Aviation Academy. Saudia has already privatized five units including catering, cargo, ground services and Saudia aerospace engineering industries.
