JEDDAH, 6 November 2005 — Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, yesterday laid the foundation stone for the expansion of Tabuk regional airport and instructed authorities to carry out the project as quickly as possible.
Abdullah Ruhaimy, chairman of the Civil Aviation Corporation, briefed the crown prince on the project, which is designed to accommodate the growing number of passengers in the region.
The project will increase the airport’s present area of 33,779 square meters by 12,000 square meters, Ruhaimy said, adding that the airport would have new arrival and departure lounges and jet bridges to link the passengers from the gate to the plane. He described Tabuk airport as the fourth largest regional airport in the Kingdom and put the annual growth rate of its passengers at 4.5 percent. The airport currently serves 60 domestic flights daily.
The expansion work includes establishment of new runways, aircraft parking facilities, maintenance workshops, control tower, cargo service building, an electricity plant and parking for 900 vehicles. “There will be additional parking facilities for two large aircraft and three medium aircraft,” he said.
There are 27 domestic and three international airports in the Kingdom, which were constructed at a total cost of more than SR50 billion. King Fahd International Airport in Dammam is the largest.
The Civil Aviation Corporation has already launched a $1.5 billion expansion for Jeddah’s King Abdul Aziz International Airport designed to accommodate the world’s largest aircraft, including A380s and will increase the airport’s annual capacity to 21 million passengers.
Prince Sultan, who arrived in Tabuk earlier in the day, also laid the foundation stone for an SR85 million housing project for the staff of King Faisal Airbase in the region. The project including 160 housing units, will be completed within 18 months, the Saudi Press Agency said.
Earlier, addressing military personnel during Eid festivities at King Abdul Aziz Military City, Prince Sultan disclosed the government’s plan to strengthen the armed forces by providing them with advanced training and weaponry.
During the ceremony, Maj. Gen. Zaid Al-Harbi, commander of the northwestern region, pledged allegiance of the armed forces stationed in the region to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan.
Prince Sultan is scheduled to open the College of Technology in Tabuk and lay the foundation stone for King Fahd Specialist Hospital in the northwestern city during his current tour. He will also launch a higher technical institute for girls.
The College of Technology, which consists of 18 buildings including classrooms, workshops and administrative offices, was established at a cost of SR67 million. It will accommodate 3,000 students. The first phase of the 500-bed hospital project will be carried out at a cost of SR170 million.
