Saudi Arabia has improved its ranking in both its aviation and maritime networks, showing a rise in the Kingdom’s global connectedness.
Saudi air connectivity has climbed to 13th place from 27th in 2019 as the Kingdom now connects 131 destinations worldwide, according to the latest index published by the International Air Transport Association.
This comes just over two years after the Saudi Cabinet approved the Civil Aviation Sector Strategy, which aims to increase the Kingdom’s air connectivity to 250 destinations worldwide, carrying 330 million passengers by 2030.
The Kingdom’s maritime connectivity ranking by the UN also rose in the second quarter of 2023, moving to the 16th position, according to the Saudi Ports Authority. The report said that 97 Saudi ports linked the Kingdom with about 348 ports around the world.
Rebound in air traffic
Saudi Arabia’s air traffic saw a strong rebound during the first four months of 2023, driven by significant growth in the Saudi travel and tourism sector, according to a report released in May by the General Authority of Civil Aviation.
Saudi air traffic recorded a 42% increase in the number of passengers, reaching 35.8 million in the first four months of 2023, compared to the same period last year.
The Kingdom’s airports also saw a marked increase in air traffic during 2023 compared to pre-pandemic levels, growing at a rate of 6.2% compared to the same period in 2019.
In a further boost to the aviation industry, a new airline, Riyadh Air, was launched earlier this year, owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund.
The growth is in line with KSA’s National Aviation Strategy – following the launching of a project to develop and expand Al-Ahsa International Airport and increase its capacity by 250% to reach 1 million passengers annually.
(Photo – Saudia 787)
