A consortium led by the UAE-based airline won a bid from the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) to establish a new airline based at King Fahd International Airport (DMM) in Dammam.

Saudi Arabia will have a new budget airline based at King Fahd International Airport (DMM) in Dammam. A consortium led by Air Arabia won a bid from the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) to launch the new carrier.

The goal is to operate a fleet of 45 jets, possibly from the A320 family, to 24 domestic and 57 international destinations. According to GACA, the new airline will improve air connectivity in the eastern region of the country and is expected to carry up to 10 million passengers annually by 2030.

The Air Arabia Group is headquartered in Sharjah, the third-largest city in the United Arab Emirates, and owns 83 A320 family aircraft distributed across subsidiaries in Egypt, Morocco, and Pakistan, in addition to the parent airline.

Air Arabia is headquartered in Sharjah and operates a fleet of Airbus A320 family jets. The company has already established several joint ventures.

“As a leading low-cost airline operator in the region, this achievement represents a key milestone that reaffirms our commitment to supporting the growth and development of the Kingdom’s aviation sector,” said Adel Ali, CEO of the Air Arabia Group.