European Commission seeks comprehensive air transport agreement with Saudi Arabia: top official says

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Updated 12 May 2022
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European Commission seeks comprehensive air transport agreement with Saudi Arabia: top official says

RIYADH: The European Commission will sign a comprehensive air transport agreement with Saudi Arabia in a bid to strengthen aviation ties with the Kingdom.

Following comprehensive air transport agreements with the Gulf Cooperation Council countries like Qatar and Oman, the European Commission has expressed interest in striking similar deals with Saudi Arabia, revealed Henrik Hololei, director-general at the commission’s department for mobility and transport.

“We initiated the comprehensive air transport agreement with Oman. And I hope that next would be perhaps Saudi Arabia because Europe will be a critical market for the Kingdom and aviation for the future,” Hololei told Arab News on the sidelines of the Future Aviation Forum underway in Riyadh.

Hololei believes innovation in the global aviation industry is pushed by competition, estimating that by 2050 the number of travelers will increase by 40 percent.

He said sustainability and affordability would be key drivers for the recovery of the air transport industry in a post-COVID-19 world.

“What we also see is robust demand from the customer. And I think this is a good thing, it’s a good trend, and it shows one thing (that) people want to travel, people want to fly, and the airlines are there to provide that possibility,” Hololei said.

 


Closing Bell: Saudi main index closes in red at 10,847

Updated 25 February 2026
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Closing Bell: Saudi main index closes in red at 10,847

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index dipped on Wednesday, losing 58.51 points, or 0.54 percent, to close at 10,847.93.

The total trading turnover of the benchmark index was SR3.78 billion ($1 billion), as 73 of the listed stocks advanced, while 187 retreated.

The MSCI Tadawul Index decreased, down 7.09 points or 0.48 percent, to close at 1,472.98.

The Kingdom’s parallel market Nomu lost 178.75 points, or 0.77 percent, to close at 22,916.83. This comes as 30 of the listed stocks advanced, while 37 retreated.

The best-performing stock was the Power and Water Utility Co. for Jubail and Yanbu, with its share price surging by 8.47 percent to SR31.24.

Other top performers included Saudi Paper Manufacturing Co., which saw its share price rise by 6.13 percent to SR53.70, and Jamjoom Pharmaceuticals Factory Co., which saw a 4.58 percent increase to SR137.

On the downside, the worst performer of the day was CHUBB Arabia Cooperative Insurance Co., whose share price fell by 5.14 percent to SR17.53.

Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Co. and Arabian Internet and Communications Services Co. also saw declines, with their shares dropping by 4.87 percent and 4.43 percent to SR4.88 and SR181.40, respectively.

On the announcement front, Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Co. announced its annual financial results for 2025, with sales dropping 3.06 percent year-on-year to SR8.45 billion. The company also recorded a net loss of SR893.86 million.

In a Tadawul statement, the company said the net loss and decline in annual sales were driven by a drop in average selling prices, despite higher sales volumes.