Saudi Arabian Airlines has won the prestigious Arabian Business Achievement Award for 2013. The jury picked the Kingdom’s flag carrier as airline of the year in the Middle East considering its remarkable achievements.

Saudia’s Director General Khaled Al-Molhem, who received the award, said his airline got it on the basis of its achievements such as high rates of performance, fleet modernization, upgrading of IT infrastructure and training of staff.

He emphasized Saudia’s determination to maintain this achievement as well as to confront its challenges by constantly improving customer services and developing capabilities of its manpower.

Al-Molhem disclosed plans to 35 new aircraft to meet growing passenger requirements in both domestic and international sectors. “We have already allocated 69 percent of flights for the domestic sector,” he said.

The Saudia chief dedicated the award to the airline’s employees. “I am happy to present this award to you because Saudia achieved it as a result of your dedicated efforts and because of your desire to make Saudia achieve high rates of performance,” he said.

Saudia transported 18.54 million passengers during the last nine months of 2013 while its on-time performance averaged at 90.14 percent during the year when it operated 132,110 flights. Domestic flights (86,655) accounted for 69.66 percent of total flights with an on-time performance of 90.97 percent.

Saudia currently operates flights to 27 domestic destinations and 52 international destinations. This will increase to 100 destinations during peak seasons of Haj and Umrah.

For over a decade,  the Arabian Business Achievement Awards has been the premier awards ceremony in the business calendar, graced by the likes of King Abdullah of Jordan, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal of Saudi Arabia, King Mohammed VI of Morocco.