JEDDAH, 9 March 2004 — Saudi Arabia yesterday transformed the Presidency of Civil Aviation into an independent commission which will run its affairs on a commercial basis.
The Council of Ministers, which took the decision, also appointed the new commission’s board of directors, which included representatives from the private sector in addition to senior government officials.
The Cabinet meeting, chaired by Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, also approved the recommendations of a ministerial committee on reorganizing education and training to meet job market requirements.
“The committee’s recommendations covered general education, reorientation programs, higher education and the job market,” the Saudi Press Agency quoted Minister of Culture and Information Dr. Fouad Al-Farsy as saying. Prince Sultan, second deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, has been appointed the new Civil Aviation Commission’s (CAC) chairman. Prince Fahd ibn Abdullah, assistant defense and aviation minister for civil aviation affairs, is the deputy chairman.
The commission’s members are: Prince Sultan ibn Salman, secretary-general of the Supreme Commission for Tourism (SCT), Abdullah Rahaimy, president of CAC, and representatives of the ministries of transport, finance, and economy and planning.
“There will be three members from the private sector appointed by the Cabinet on recommendation of the chairman,” Al-Farsy said.
“The commission will use its revenues to meet its operational and investment expenditures,” he said, adding that the funds allocated to it in the annual budget would be cut in tune with its total annual revenues. The commission will work to develop its revenues and achieve self-financing.
