GACA prodded to speed up licensing of foreign airlines

The Shoura Council has urged the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) to speed up the licensing process for foreign airlines to operate local and regional flights.
Sadoun Al-Sadoun, chairman of the council's transport, telecommunications and information technology committee, said on Monday that this forms part of the liberalization plans for the country's airline industry, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
He was speaking at a session held to review the committee's annual report. Sheikh Abdullah Al-Asheikh, president of the council, chaired the meeting.
The council also stressed that foreign airlines must employ Saudis at their main and branch offices if they want to operate in the country. This recommendation was originally made by council member Saud Al-Shamri.
The council also called on GACA to implement a system where it manages every part of an airport's operations.
The council also discussed a report from the Islamic and legal affairs committee on a draft bill to introduce a criminal registration and rehabilitation system.
The bill has 19 articles dealing with criminal registration and rehabilitation, which, according to the committee, is needed because there is no precise system to deal with these issues currently, except orders and circulars issued by the Council of Ministers and the Ministry of Interior.
The members who participated in the discussion said the bill would strike a balance between the rights of society and those of convicts.
The council agreed that the Islamic affairs committee would study the bill before submitting a report.
The council also approved the bill for defense cooperation between the Kingdom and Poland.