Saudi Arabian Airlines carried a record 17.57 million passengers in 2006, which was 471,462 more passengers compared to the previous year, according to the official report presented at the national carrier's board of directors meeting held recently.

Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and minister of defence and aviation, who presided over the meeting at his palace in Jeddah, commended the efforts being made by the airline to further improve its services in accordance with the company's long-term development strategy.

Of the total number of passengers 720,516 were Umrah pilgrims whom the airline transported from its domestic and international stations.

The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said that the board meeting approved the airline's budget for 2007 which showed an increase in revenues and profits. It also endorsed the financial report of chartered accountants on the airline's account until Dec. 31, 2005.

Khaled Al Mulhim, director general of Saudia, earlier gave a presentation on the airline's 10-year strategy and future plans in order to face the big competition from other airline companies and its plan to introduce new services in the aviation industry.

"We have started using advanced technology for various services such as reservation and ticketing and supply services to passengers within 24 hours after request. We have also opened executive offices at airports to help passengers and tackle their problems," he said, and added that Saudia has appointed qualified staff to carry out these responsibilities.

Al Mulhim highlighted Saudia's efforts to open offices for issuing tickets and boarding passes in public places, commercial centres, main roads and travel agencies and increase the number of sales and reservation offices in all cities.

"We have also plans to provide information on ticket prices, air routes and reservation through telephone messages. We have also modernised lounges for first class and Horizon class passengers in all major airports including King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah and King Khaled Interational Airport in Riyadh."

Briefing the board on the airline's performance in 2006, he said that it carried 17,571,443 passengers this year. The number of Umrah pilgrims transported by the airline increased to 720,516 pilgrims, representing an increase of 48,848 pilgrims compared to 2005 performance.

Speaking about Saudia's Haj operation, he said the airline carried nearly 906,744 pilgrims from outside the Kingdom on their arrival and return flights.

Last year, the airline carried 867,828 pilgrims during the Haj season. The presentation also included the airline's efforts to promote domestic tourism by increasing seating capacities to major tourist destinations in the country.

In a related development, the Saudi Bin Laden Group, in partnership with French Aeroports de Paris, has been awarded a $250 million contract to develop a lounge for Haj pilgrims at KAIA here.      International Finance Corporation (IFC) أ¢â‚¬â€‌ the private sector arm of the World Bank, which provides consultancy services to the General Authority for Civil Aviation, (GACA), handled the bids for the project that involves 'build-operate-and transfer' (BOT) agreement.

The contract includes upgrading service standards to the passengers, aside from increasing the capacity of the lounge. The tender includes both the technical and financial aspects.

The pilgrim lounge at the KAIA has been serving millions of overseas pilgrims travelling from and to their countries. During the current Haj season alone, more than two million pilgrims passed through this lounge.

Waleed Abdul Rahman Al Murshid, IFC official responsible for regional investments in the Middle East and North Africa, said that a Saudi-Greek consortium led by SETE has won a contract to build a new desalination plant at the KAIA.

Under the 20-year agreement, the concessionaire will build a seawater reverse osmosis plant, which will have an initial capacity of 30,000 cubic metres of potable water per day.