DAMMAM, 14 May 2007 — Eastern Province Governor Prince Muhammad ibn Fahd recently submitted a plea to Crown Prince Sultan, Minister of Defense and Aviation, to reduce the demurrage and the rent charges of the airlines offices at the King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. Prince Muhammad’s recommendations also included the construction of a hotel in the area.
While presiding in a meeting of the Eastern Province’s provincial council held at governor’s office recently, the prince said the requests were made after the discussions with the chairman of the General Authority for Civil Aviation and director general of the Saudi Arabian Airlines.
Sultan Al-Sobaie, secretary general of the provincial council, said the economic committee of the council has directed the Eastern Province Chamber of Commerce and Industry to make a revised study of the fees pattern for port services in order to benefit from the services of the Jubail Commercial Port and ease the heavy workload at the King Abdul Aziz Port in Dammam.
This is aimed at increasing exports and imports. The committee also discussed with the chamber ways to overcome the difficulties that delayed the customs clearances at various land and sea entry points to the Kingdom.
Another recommendation made by the economic committee was to set up an independent information center in the chamber office to serve exclusively the investors and businessmen in the region.
The council also approved the economic committee’s recommendation to convert the unused areas in the Dammam harbor for profitable ventures such as making an industrial zone and expansion of the warehousing facilities there.
The economic committee also planned a meeting with the chamber to explore the possibility of merging small companies in the region into bigger companies so that they could withstand the stiff competition brought about by market globalization.
The council also discussed the report submitted by Prince Abdul Aziz ibn Fahd, chairman of the tourism promotion council in the province, to set up a tourism company in the private sector with the aim of developing the region’s industry.