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.



3,000 Saudi SMEs Benefit from Loans Exceeding $2.1 billion

Cafes are among the small establishments witnessing growth in the Saudi market (SPA)
Cafes are among the small establishments witnessing growth in the Saudi market (SPA)
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3,000 Saudi SMEs Benefit from Loans Exceeding $2.1 billion

Cafes are among the small establishments witnessing growth in the Saudi market (SPA)
Cafes are among the small establishments witnessing growth in the Saudi market (SPA)

Around 3,000 Saudi SMEs benefited from The Small and Medium Enterprises Loan Guarantee Program (Kafalah) during the first half of 2024.

The program reported issuing 3,543 financing guarantees worth over SAR 8 billion, compared to SAR 7.2 billion last year, marking an 11.66% increase. The value of the guarantees provided exceeded SAR 6 billion, compared to SAR 5.7 billion in 2023, reflecting a 4.63% increase, according to a statement by Kafalah.

CEO and Board Member Homam Hashem stated that SMEs are the main economic driver and crucial for achieving economic development and income diversification, as emphasized by Vision 2030.

He highlighted the importance of government and private sector efforts to support SMEs and address their challenges, pointing to the program’s success as a public-private partnership model.

Kafalah program, in coordination with the SME Bank, aims to achieve Vision 2030 goals in all initiatives and products, helping SMEs obtain financing to grow and expand across the Kingdom, and encouraging financial institutions to engage with the SME sector.

Since its launch in fiscal year 2006, and until the end of the second quarter of 2024, the program has approved more than 63,000 guarantees benefitting 22,000 SMEs, with a total value of financing exceeding SAR 99 billion ($26.4 billion). The total value of issued guarantees amounted to SAR 70.5 billion.