JEDDAH, 11 May 2005 — Prince Sultan, second deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, yesterday signed a SR368 million contract with Safari Company for the operation and maintenance of aviation systems and equipment at the Kingdom’s airports.
The contract, which lasts three years, will serve more than 100 international airline companies, operating flights to the Kingdom, the Saudi Press Agency said. “It will also serve Saudi civilian and military aircraft and ensure safe and smooth aviation traffic,” it added.
The contract covers operation and maintenance of telecommunication systems and radars as well as aviation support systems and air control systems. The company will also provide training to Saudi staff at the Civil Aviation Corporation. The contract would create 695 new jobs with 43 percent of which would go to Saudis.
Safari Company is one of the leading operation and maintenance contractors in Saudi Arabia. Its fully comprehensive services cover the operation and maintenance of airports. The company’s security division handles security-related projects at airports and border crossings.
Projects include: Checked baggage, pre-departure screening, bomb detection and disposal, automatic Hold Baggage Screening Systems (HBSS), loop based fire alarm systems, CCTV, intrusion alarm, and the supply and installation of X-ray systems and metal detectors.
In a related development, Saudi Arabia and Thailand reached an agreement on civil aviation services, the Civil Aviation Corporation said in a statement. As per the agreement, both Saudi Arabian Airlines and Thai Airways will operate nine flights weekly to both countries.
Thai Airways will operate flights to Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam while Saudia will operate flights to seven destinations in Thailand. “The two national airlines will enter into strategic marketing alliances,” the statement said. Abdullah Ruhaimy, president of the Civil Aviation Corporation, chaired the Saudi side during the meeting with Thai civil aviation officials.