JEDDAH, 26 June — Prince Sultan, second deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, has welcomed the establishment of qualified private aviation companies in Saudi Arabia.
"We are ready to accept such aviation companies established by businessmen within the Kingdom," he told Arab News.
Prince Sultan was talking to reporters after laying the foundation stone of an academy for aviation sciences in Jeddah.
He said Saudi Arabian Airlines, which is likely to be privatized soon, was not facing any financial difficulties.
The Prince Sultan Aviation Academy, for which the foundation stone was laid on Monday, is estimated to cost SR75 million. It is designed to provide advanced training to Saudi pilots.
Asked about prospects for admitting foreign students to the academy, Dr. Khaled ibn Bakr, Saudia’s director general, said: "Priority will be given to Saudis." He pointed out that the US Federal Aviation Administration has approved Saudia’s training program.
Dr. Bakr said studies on Saudia’s privatization would be completed within months.
The airline’s new reshuffled board of directors would hold its first meeting shortly, he said.
The Council of Ministers on Monday approved the new board under the chairmanship of Prince Sultan. The board includes Prince Fahd ibn Abdullah, assistant minister for civil aviation affairs, Dr Bakr and Dr. Ali Al-Khalaf, head of the Presidency of Civil Aviation.
Dr. Muhammad Al-Jasir, deputy governor of Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency; Abdullah Al-Muqbil, deputy communications minister for road affairs, and Abdullah Al-Hamoudi, deputy minister for external trade are new board members from among government officials.
The new members from among businessmen are: Abdul Rahman Al-Jeraisy, chairman of the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Meshaiqeh, chairman of the Qassim Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Osama Kurdi, secretary-general of the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
The outgoing members are: Ibrahim Al-Sultan, deputy communications minister; Fawaz Al-Alami, deputy commerce minister; Saleh Al-Barrak, director of customs; Abdullah Abu Melha, Abdul Aziz Al-Athel and Saleh Al-Zouman, all businessmen.
