JEDDAH: General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) President Abdul-Hakim Al-Tamimi and British Transport Secretary Christopher Grayling on Monday signed a memorandum of cooperation between the GACA and the UK Department of Transport.
The memorandum aims to develop Saudi-British cooperation in civil aviation, thus contributing to the modernization of administrative, organizational, operational and technical areas.
Grayling separately held talks with Walid Al-Ekrais, vice president, projects, at Arriyadh Development Authority (ADA).
The official briefed Grayling on the progress made on the Riyadh Metro Project and took him on a tour of Metro Visitor Center.
The ADA devises plans and procedures to improve the standard of services and facilities provided for Riyadh residents.
The GACA chief announced recently that the initial opening and pilot operations of the new King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah will be in May 2018. His remarks came on the sidelines of the Reconstruction of Makkah Region Conference recently.
He said that the King Abdul Aziz International Airport is a mega project as it includes 810,000 square meters of terminals.
It also includes 200 counters designed for completion of travel procedures and 80 self-service counters.
The number of aircraft that can be received simultaneously is 70 connected to the terminal as well as 28 aircraft on the tarmac.
He said that GACA had assigned the new Taif (International) Airport to the private sector. It is expected to open in December 2020.
