JEDDAH, 5 June — Saudi Arabian Airlines kept a high profile at the recent 57th annual general meeting (AGM) of International Air Transport Association (IATA), which re-elected Dr. Khaled A. ibn Bakr, director general of the airline, as a member of the IATA board of governors until the end of 2004 AGM.  The AGM, held at Madrid, also confirmed the reappointment of Muhammad Abdul Aal, VP finance, to serve on its financial committee until the close of 2003 AGM. A high level delegation of the airline, headed by Ben-Bakr, participated in the meeting, which featured the annual state of the air transport industry presented by IATA Director General Pierre Jeanniot, as well as special presentations by international experts on globalization — the way forward and financing the air transport system. Other major items on the agenda included approval of the 2002 budget and assessment of membership dues for 2002, appointment of auditors, strategy to reduce hull losses, report of the board of governors, election of members of the board of governors, confirmation of appointments to the standing committees and the 2002 nominating committee, and the Eagle award presentations. Spanish King Juan Carlos I inaugurated the AGM and the opening ceremony was attended by his Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar Lopez. A large number of CEOs of the IATA member airlines, regional and international organizations, and media attended the meeting, which was held in the auditorium of the Palacio de Congresos. Three executives of the airline have been already reelected by the previous AGM to serve on the IATA standing committees until the close of the 2002 AGM: Hany M. Aref, VP air transport industry and IATA affairs, to serve on the IATA industry affairs committee; Capt. Jazza Ghanem Al-Shammari, VP flight operations, to serve on the IATA operations committee; and Muhammad Al-Baiz, VP cargo sales and services on the IATA cargo committee. The airline delegation included Abdul Aziz Al-Hazmi, EVP marketing, Ayman B. Nassief, executive manager HEDG’s office, and Muhammad A. Siddiqui, senior specialist IATA affairs, aside from Aref. Xabier de Irala, chairman and CEO of Iberia, Lineas Aereas De Espania, addressed the closing session.