Speaking to reporters after attending a meeting of GACA's board of directors, he said Prince Abdul Majeed Airport in Al-Ula would be opened shortly. He did not give a specific date for the opening. The Tabuk regional airport will be opened in the first quarter of this year while Najran regional airport in the second quarter.
The board meeting, which was chaired by Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, decided to establish a public utility service complex at the Haj Terminal of King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah in order to meet the needs of growing number of pilgrims.
Rehaimi said about 4.5 million foreign pilgrims came to the Kingdom last year. A major expansion project has been launched to increase KAIA's annual capacity from 17 to 30 million passengers. Prince Sultan laid the foundation stone for the project recently.
Speaking about development of Prince Muhammad International Airport in Madinah, he said: "We have completed 45 percent of the requirements of international operations and started using Terminal-3 of the airport." He expected the airport's full-scale international operation by the end of this year.
The board discussed GACA's safety structure to ensure the quality of domestic and international airports in the Kingdom. It also reviewed a study on restructuring international airports for their commercial operation. "The meeting approved the rules and regulations for an independent office to investigate accidents," Rehaimi said. The meeting also reviewed advertisements received by airports. It urged passengers to follow the decision banning smoking at airports.
The board meeting was attended by Prince Fahd bin Abdullah, assistant minister for civil aviation affairs, and Prince Sultan bin Salman, chairman of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities.