RIYADH: Around 100 participants have participated in the Sadet El-Beid hiking competition at Taif Season this year, according to the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH).
“The event is designed to encourage mountain hiking, while ensuring participants follow the necessary safety measures, and use the appropriate tools,” the SCTH revealed.
Around 100 people have taken part in the event so far, Najla Al-Khalifa, an SCTH spokesperson, told Arab News on Monday.
Participants board a free bus to Al-Shifa, where they are assigned a team leader and assistants. They follow a path through the rocks up to the mountain, which overlooks Taif and from which they can enjoy views of the rose fields near the mountain.
Part of Taif Season’s remit — apart from promoting Taif’s status as an attractive place to visit thanks to its historical status, its cultural and artistic diversity, and its moderate climate — is to contribute to the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to improve quality of life and create career and investment opportunities in the Kingdom, promoting Saudi Arabia as an international tourist destination.
Taif Season consists of more than 70 events in areas including Souq Okaz, near the camel festival, Sadet Al-Beid, and Ward Village.
It represents an aspect of daily life for ancient Arabs through creative live shows including more than 2,000 actors and professionals who receive guests in modern Arabic and traditional clothes, and perform stories and improvizations based on a dialogue between actors and visitors.
100 participants enter Taif Season’s hiking event
100 participants enter Taif Season’s hiking event
- Taif Season consists of more than 70 events in areas including Souq Okaz, near the camel festival, Sadet Al-Beid, and Ward Village
Dammam airport introduces advanced navigation technology
- General Aviation Terminal at King Fahd International Airport is big step forward for facilities
DAMMAM: King Fahd International Airport — the largest airport in the world by area, according to Guinness World Records — has implemented a cutting-edge navigation system, the first of its kind in Saudi Arabia.
The Category III Instrument Landing System upgrade project allows aircraft to land automatically in low-visibility and foggy conditions, ensuring flight continuity while enhancing operational efficiency and strengthening safety reliability.
Prince Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz, the governor of Eastern Province, inaugurated the General Aviation Terminal and the upgrade of the ILS on Monday.
The General Aviation Terminal at King Fahd International Airport represents a significant step forward for the airport’s facilities.
The project spans more than 23,000 sq. meters, ensuring operational efficiency and the swift completion of travel procedures through the main terminal.
It includes aircraft parking areas covering 12,415 sq. meters, with capacity for four aircraft simultaneously, in addition to support services and car parking spanning 6,665 sq. meters — contributing to smooth traffic flow and providing a travel experience aligned with the highest international standards.
The project also includes upgrading the western runway to 4,000 meters, along with an additional 4,000 meters of taxiway, equipped with more than 3,200 lighting units operating under a unified system with advanced technologies to meet modern operational requirements and accommodate all types of aircraft.
These developments will contribute to increasing passenger capacity and air traffic growth in the Kingdom, in line with the objectives of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy.
Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Duailej, the president of the General Authority of Civil Aviation, said that the Aviation Program had derived from the strategy.
He said: “It (the program) embodies the ambitious goals of Vision 2030, aiming to establish the Kingdom as a global logistics platform linking three continents; an international destination for tourism and business; and a leading aviation hub in the Middle East.”
The authority has implemented several initiatives to develop the general aviation sector and create an attractive investment environment by improving regulatory frameworks.
These efforts have successfully attracted leading global companies, with Universal Aviation named as the operator for the terminals at King Fahd International Airport and King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah.
Mohammed bin Ali Al-Hassany, the CEO of Dammam Airports, said that the General Aviation Terminal and the ILS upgrade represented “a major leap for Saudi airports.”
He added that preparing the operational environment on the western runway had been the result of close cooperation between the GACA, Saudi Airports Holding Company, Dammam Airports, the National Center for Meteorology, and the Saudi Air Navigation Services Company, with each entity fulfilling its role to ensure operational readiness, safety and efficiency.
Dammam Airports manages and operates three airports in Eastern Province: King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, Al-Ahsa International Airport, and Qaisumah Airport in Hafar Al-Batin.
Arab News spoke to Gregory Evans, chairman of the board at Universal Weather and Aviation, who was present during the ceremony on Monday.
He said: “We operate Dammam’s only GA terminal with dedicated, private aviation hangars, providing secure, climate-protected aircraft storage that safeguards your assets and ensures predictable availability.
“Around the world, the number of business jets, private jets, has really exploded over the last 15 years, and what’s going on in Saudi Arabia is going on in other parts of the world, where you have more and more private jet operators coming into places like Dammam and Riyadh and Jeddah and other locations — but they don’t have the infrastructure.
“They don’t have where to park; they don’t have where to put their planes in hangars, believe it or not. This is the first hangar in Saudi Arabia for private jets.
“It’s an incredible day to be able to bring that kind of service to the country, as well as FBOs (fixed-base operators).”
The team also plans to operate additional hangars for private jets in Jeddah and Riyadh.
Evans said: “We have three projects really going on at the same time. We have Riyadh going on, and Jeddah. Because the DACO (Dammam Airports Company) people work very quickly, it is Dammam first. I wouldn’t say I chose Dammam; Dammam chose us.”
