King Abdulaziz International Airport Achieves Top Places in 2023 ACI Rankings

King Abdulaziz International Airport gets crowned as one of the most advanced airports in air connectivity in the Middle East - SPA
King Abdulaziz International Airport gets crowned as one of the most advanced airports in air connectivity in the Middle East - SPA
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King Abdulaziz International Airport Achieves Top Places in 2023 ACI Rankings

King Abdulaziz International Airport gets crowned as one of the most advanced airports in air connectivity in the Middle East - SPA
King Abdulaziz International Airport gets crowned as one of the most advanced airports in air connectivity in the Middle East - SPA

King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA) was crowned one of the most advanced airports in air connectivity in the Middle East by the Airports Council International (ACI).
During ACI's annual General Assembly Conference and Exhibition in Riyadh, KAIA placed third as the best airport in the field of air connectivity in the Middle East for 2023, SPA reported.
These results are an extension of the ongoing efforts of the Jeddah Airports Company, which manages and operates KAIA in using the latest technology, developing the infrastructure of the Kingdom's founder’s airport, upgrading the quality of services, and expanding the network of local and international air destinations to more than 125.
As part of its endeavor to achieve the national strategic objectives of civil aviation emanating from the Saudi Vision 2030, the Jeddah Airports Company continues to strengthen the position of KAIA as a global hub airport, and to provide a unique travel experience for all travelers, including tourists and visitors to the Grand Mosque of Makkah from around the world, with the airport achieving a record growth in operations of over 36%.

The airport also aims to increase the number of destinations to 135 by the end of 2024, achieving a growth of 6% compared to 2023.
Jeddah Airports Company CEO Eng. Mazen Johar unveiled the company's intention to upgrade the level of services to realize the goals of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy, which aims to increase operational efficiency and raise the capacity of KAIA to reach 114 million passengers by 2030.



Saudi Power Procurement Company Signs Purchase Agreements for 3 Solar Energy Projects 

Officials are seen at the signing ceremony. (SPA)
Officials are seen at the signing ceremony. (SPA)
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Saudi Power Procurement Company Signs Purchase Agreements for 3 Solar Energy Projects 

Officials are seen at the signing ceremony. (SPA)
Officials are seen at the signing ceremony. (SPA)

The Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC) signed on Wednesday Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) for three new solar photovoltaic projects with a consortium of ACWA Power Company, and the Water & Electricity Holding Company (Badeel), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), and Aramco Power, a fully-owned subsidiary of Saudi Aramco.

The agreement was signed in the presence of Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

These new projects with a capacity of 5,500 MW are part of the National Renewable Energy Program, which is supervised by the Ministry of Energy.

The three solar projects are:

Haden Solar PV, in Makkah Province, with a total capacity of 2,000 MW and an LCOE of 1.58762 cent/kWh (5.95356 Halala/kWh)

Al-Muwaih Solar PV, in Makkah Province, with a total capacity of 2,000 MW and an LCOE of 1.60852 cent/kWh (6.03194 Halala/kWh)

Al-Khushaybi PV, in Qassim Province, with a total capacity of 1,500 MW and an LCOE of 1.67289 cent/kWh (6.27334 Halala/kWh)

Starting 2024, Saudi Arabia will tender annually new renewable energy projects with a total capacity of 20 GW with the aim of reaching between 100 to 130 GW by 2030, depending on the growth of electricity demand.

Since the start of the renewables program to date, 21 projects have been awarded, including the projects that were signed on Wednesday with a total capacity of 19 GW. Of the 21 projects, seven with a total capacity of 4.1 GW are now connected to the grid, eight with a total capacity of 8.2 GW are under construction, and six with a total capacity of 7 GW are in the financial close stage.

Furthermore, and since the start of 2024, six new renewable energy projects have been tendered with a total capacity of 6.7 GW. Additional capacities are planned to be tendered during the current year in order to achieve the 20 GW annual tendered capacities target.

The National Renewable Energy program’s projects aim to reach the Kingdom’s optimal energy mix targets, and displace liquid fuels used in power generation sector and other sectors in the Kingdom, as part of the energy ecosystem’s efforts towards achieving Saudi Vision objectives.