JEDDAH, 27 April 2004 — Saudi Arabian Airlines yesterday launched its first cargo flight from Houston to King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. The new service brought the total number of Saudia’s cargo flight destinations in the United States to eight including Washington, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Orlando, Chicago and Philadelphia. “The new service to Houston will facilitate cargo movement between the two countries and boost bilateral trade relations,” said Hatem Zarie, assistant vice president for services and air cargo sales. The airline has 10 main cargo centers around the world including in New York, Brussels, New Delhi, Hong Kong and Dhaka. Last year Saudia’s cargo flights transported a record 270 million tons of goods.