JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia will soon become a major hub for aviation services, including maintenance, spare parts and manufacturing, said a top government official.

“Our operations will not be restricted to air transport,” added Captain Abdulhakim Al-Badr, assistant president for safety, security and air transport, at General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA)

He said the authority was also finalizing its privatization plans for all the airports in the Kingdom.

GACA will still operate as the industry regulator, said the official.

Al-Badr warned that GACA grants licenses to operators to start work immediately and those who are late might lose their licenses.

He said the companies should be ready technically as the commercial aspect will require some time.

Al-Badr expressed the hope that the airlines that have already acquired the necessary licenses would complete all the procedures by the end of this year.

There are 219 airports in the Kingdom, four of which are vital international airports, said Al-Badr.