The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) signed an agreement with the International Financial Company (IFC) on Tuesday to begin the process of expanding Prince Mohammed Bin Abdul Aziz Airport in Madina so that it meets international standards, as directed by Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz. “The IFC has been involved in development projects in several airports in the Kingdom, so it is an excellent opportunity for GACA to benefit from the company's experience,” said Mohammed Noor Rahimi, President of GACA. Several projects will be established in the first stage of construction, such as, building pilgrims halls, improving the runways, and developing the infrastructure of Madina. “We are going to build a large number of halls to be used for the arrival and departure of pilgrims and those performing Umrah, which will help to reduce the crowded conditions of King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah,” he said. According to Rahimi, GACA wants local and international private sector companies to participate in the development of the Kingdom's airports in order to raise the level of services and support the economic development of the Kingdom. “We are planning to upgrade the Kingdom's civil aviation system and airports to meet international standards and to do this we need to benefit from the experience of the private sector,” said Rahimi. The expansion of Prince Mohammed Bin Abdul Aziz Airport in Madina is part of the plan to restructure the aviation sector and enhance the competitiveness of the Kingdom's airports, he added. “The runways at Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz Airport are not compatible with current ICAO standards and thus cannot receive the latest aircraft, so we are going to expand and modernize these runways,” Rahimi said. Such development projects in different parts of the Kingdom will provide a large number of job opportunities for citizens. As soon as we finish the first phase of the project in Madina, we will have 4,000 jobs available, he added. “In 2006, Madina was chosen as one of the six cities in the Kingdom to be turned into a ‘smart' city, and as such it requires a modern international airport,” Rahimi explained.
