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Second Phase of Development of Al-Ula Airport Completed

Al-Ula airport. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Al-Ula airport. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Second Phase of Development of Al-Ula Airport Completed

Al-Ula airport. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Al-Ula airport. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Royal Commission for Al-Ula announced on Friday the completion of the second phase of its project to develop the Al-Ula airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia.

The airport is one of the main strategic factors that will transform Al-Ula into a major tourist destination and logistic hub.

The completion of this phase of the project coincides with the Commission’s preparations to reopen the region to visitors starting October.

The second phase saw the renovation of the main building and expansion of runways to receive more aircraft. The airport will also now receive 400,000 passengers annually.

The new additions at the facility include the establishment of a VIP reception hall and better services to improve the traveler experience.

Royal Commission for Al-Ula official spokesman Saad Al-Matrafi said the airport will create job opportunities for the locals because it is a logistic hub that meets the demands of northwestern Saudi Arabia.

In cooperation with Saudi Arabian Airlines, the commission has resumed flights from Riyadh to Al-Ula, with four taking place weekly. Flights from Al-Ula to Jeddah and other cities are expected to resume soon.

In 2019, the airport received some 52,000 travelers from 855 flights.

The first phase of the development of Al-Ula airport was completed in 2019.

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Indonesia, Singapore Sign Deals on Power Trade, Carbon Capture 

Indonesian Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia speaks to the media during a press conference at the presidential palace in Jakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday, June 10, 2025. (AP) 
Indonesian Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia speaks to the media during a press conference at the presidential palace in Jakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday, June 10, 2025. (AP) 
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Indonesia, Singapore Sign Deals on Power Trade, Carbon Capture 

Indonesian Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia speaks to the media during a press conference at the presidential palace in Jakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday, June 10, 2025. (AP) 
Indonesian Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia speaks to the media during a press conference at the presidential palace in Jakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday, June 10, 2025. (AP) 

Indonesia and Singapore signed initial deals on Friday to develop cross-border trade in low carbon electricity and collaborate on carbon capture and storage, ministers from both countries said in Jakarta.

The electricity deal reaffirmed an earlier agreement to export solar power from Indonesia to Singapore, with a group of companies planning to build plants and grid infrastructure to generate and transmit the power.

The memorandum of understanding signed by the two countries says they will aim to draw up policies, regulatory frameworks and business arrangements that will enable Indonesian power to be delivered to Singapore.

Indonesia expects to export 3.4 gigawatts of low-carbon power by 2035, according to a presentation slide shown by Indonesia's energy minister Bahlil Lahadalia.

In another MoU, the two countries said they would look into drawing up a legally binding agreement for carbon capture and storage that would allow cross-border projects to go ahead.

If successful, it will be the first such project in Asia, said Singapore government minister Tan See Leng.

Energy firms BP, ExxonMobil, and Indonesia's state company Pertamina are already developing CCS projects in Indonesia.

With its depleted oil and gas reservoirs and saline aquifers capable of storing hundreds of gigatons of CO2, Indonesia has allowed CCS operators to set aside 30% of their storage capacity for carbon captured in other countries.

The two countries also signed a deal for the development of sustainable industrial zones on several Indonesian islands near Singapore, including Batam, Bintan and Karimun.

Bahlil said the deals could bring in more than $10 billion of investment from the manufacturing of solar panels, the development of CCS projects and potential investment in industrial estates.