A large crowd attended funeral prayers for Captain Hamoud Alkalthami at Al-Guraigri Mosque in Jeddah on Saturday afternoon before his body was laid to rest at Al-Salhiyah Cemetery in the northeastern part of the city.
Relatives, friends, colleagues from Saudia Airlines, aviation sector workers and members of the public attended the funeral.
Mourners began arriving early to offer condolences to the family of Alkalthami, who was killed in an attack targeting King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Thursday.
His death prompted an outpouring of grief across Saudi Arabia’s aviation sector, with colleagues paying tribute in person and on social media, remembering his good character, warm smile and strong professional relationships throughout his career.
In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Khaled Salmeen Bahashwan, who worked with Alkalthami for more than 22 years at Saudia Airlines, remembered him as a kind, cheerful and compassionate colleague whose sincere smile and exemplary character left a lasting impression. He praised Alkalthami’s devotion to his wife and two daughters, his loyalty to colleagues and his willingness to support others, saying his many admirable qualities were difficult to capture in words.
Saudia mourned Captain Alkalthami, honoring his service and expressing condolences to his family and colleagues.
The airline also confirmed that an aircraft was damaged while parked on the airport tarmac, with no passengers on board. It said emergency procedures were immediately activated in coordination with the relevant authorities to assist those affected and provide support to their families.
