Ain-Al-Yaqeen - October 15, 2004

		October 15, 2004

SAUDI ARABIAN AIRLINES A MARCH OF PROGRESS AND SUCCESS.
ESTABLISHED IN 1945 BY KING ABDUL AZIZ AND IS ACHIEVING ONE SUCCESS AFTER ANOTHER WITH THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF THE CUSTODIAN OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES, THE CROWN PRINCE AND THE SECOND DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER.
PRINCE SULTAN IBN ABDUL AZIZ LAID THE FOUNDATION STONE FOR THE PRINCE SULTAN AVIATION ACADEMY AND OPENED THE DOOR FOR PRIVATIZATION.
THE SECOND DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER ANNOUNCES THAT THE KINGDOM WILL NOT BE IN NEED TO SEND ITS STUDENTS TO LEARN AVIATION ABROAD.

The aviation sector began initial activities in 1934 when the late King Abdul Aziz issued a Royal Order to establish a Commission for Aviation Affairs under the Chairmanship of Prince Faisal Ibn Abdul Aziz.

Two years later, eight young Saudis were dispatched to Italy for a two-year training assignment. On completion of the assignment, they returned to the Kingdom as pilots and engineers.

The late King Abdul Aziz was given a DC-3 Dakota plane by U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt on 27 May 1945. He granted permission for the plane to operate between Riyadh and Jeddah transporting citizens.

The Kingdom was concerned rapidly to promote aviation. It therefore issued an order facilitating the purchase of more Dakota planes for domestic and international flights. This marked the birth of Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAA).

As a result of the generous support of the Kingdom's leadership, including an order issued by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz for the purchase of 61 high-tech, advanced planes such as Boeing and McDonnell Douglas, the fleet of SAA currently includes 139 of the most modern aircraft.

This has enabled SAA to transport more than 13.5 million passengers annually, on 300 daily flights to 52 foreign and 25 regional destinations.

The SAA currently has over 24,000 employees, 1,000 pilots, and thousands of engineers.

Civil aviation has grown in parallel with the Kingdom's ambitious development plans. Its advantage over road and rail in terms of speed for users has made it the transportation mode of choice and its contribution to the Kingdom's successful progress cannot be over-estimated.

Saudi Arabian Airlines has played a vital role in the development of the country. Well before the Kingdom's road network was built, Saudi Arabian Airlines made possible access to the most remote areas of the country, providing a network of transport and communication that was essential for the development of commerce and industry, education, health care and other urban amenities.

Internationally, Saudi Arabian Airlines has also played an important role in the Kingdom's development. Within two years of its founding, Saudi Arabian Airlines began operations outside the Kingdom. Within the space of a little more than a decade, it became the region's largest airline. Today, with over 12 million passengers carried each year and an international network linking 50 cities on four continents, Saudi Arabian Airlines is one of the world's major airlines and ranks 15th among the 165 member airlines of the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Director General Saudi Arabian Airlines Dr. Khaled A. Ibn Bakr said on the occasion of the National Day that the march is full of achievements and rich in experience

A very defined picture of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was created when the late founder King Abdul Aziz rose to unify the far flung areas of his country, lay the foundation stone of a well established and strong nation, and restore the rule of law based on Islamic jurisprudence and the traditions of Prophet Mohammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), regardless of the limited resources available at that time

Saudi Arabian Airlines (SV) is an exquisite reward of the noble efforts of the founder of the Kingdom and his successors. It is illustrative of the success of our country, and is a true pulse of the progress of this blessed land. It is a national organization that plays a prominent role in the economic development of our beloved Kingdom.

Praise be to Allah, SV is achieving one success after another with the generous support of the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques and the Crown Prince; and the guidance of H.R.H. Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General, as well as the continuous follow-up of his assistant for civil aviation, H.H. Prince Fahd Ibn Abdullah.

SV has responded well to the challenges of the new century. It has dealt with the dynamics of the new economic world order by investing in the training of its employees, and by acquiring cutting edge technologies and developing state-of-the-art systems.

Throughout the years, Saudi Airlines has strived to maintain high performance standards in all aspects of its operation. A major industry criteria that airlines compete to increase, it is the on-time performance index. During the last decade Saudi Airlines' on-time performance (From 1993 to 2002) shows that a total of 809,626 flights have been successfully operated with an average on time departure of 90%.

Saudi Arabian Airlines recently augmented its fleet with the acquisition of 61 state-of-the-art Boeing 747-400s, 777-200s, MD-11s and MD-90s. These 61 aircraft have already been received and introduced into service thus making the Airline's fleet among the youngest in the world.

Saudi Arabian Airlines started out in 1945 with a single twin-engined DC-3(Dakota) HZ-AAX given to King Abdul Aziz as a gift by the then U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. This was followed months later with the purchase of two more DC-3s, and these formed the nucleus of what in later years was to become one of the world's largest airlines.

Today Saudi Arabian Airlines has some one hundred and thirty-nine (139) aircraft, including the latest and most advanced wide-bodied jets presently available: B747-400s, B747-300s, B747-100s, B777-200s, Airbus A300-600s, MD-11s and MD90s.

The most important historical highlights of Saudi Arabian Airlines since its establishment until becoming one of the best airlines in the world are as follows

1945: U.S. President Roosevelt gives King Abdul Aziz a gift of a Douglas DC-3 Dakota, following their historic meeting in the Suez Canal on February 14, 1945. The DC-3 was used on routes between Riyadh, Jeddah and Dhahran and carried both passengers and cargo. Two more DC-3s were purchased within months.

1946: Saudi Arabian Airlines was set up in this year as an operating agency of the Ministry of Defence. The airline's first airport and operating base was located at Kandara, close to what is today the downtown area of Jeddah. Haj pilgrims were flown to Jeddah from Lydda, Palestine and other countries. In the same year, Saudi Arabian Airlines requested permission for charter flights to London.

1947: Two more Dakotas were purchased and scheduled services were operated both within the kingdom and to regional destinations such as Cairo and Damascus. The first scheduled domestic service took place on March 14.

1948: Service started to Beirut.

1949: The first of five Bristol 170s, Mark 21-E variant, adaptable for passengers or freight was delivered.

1952: Five(5) four-engined Douglas DC-4s were purchased, their greater range permitting operations to Middle Eastern destinations. Service started to Amman and Karachi.

1953: Services between Dhanran and Beirut were inaugurated besides starting service to Port Sudan, Asmara, Istanbul and Kuwait.

1954: Ten(10) Convair 340s, the airline's first pressurized aircraft, were purchased and delivered between 1954 and 1955.

1955: By its tenth anniversary, the airline had brought all outlying communities of the Kingdom to within a few hours' journey of each other, both to and from Riyadh and Jeddah, which is the local transport hub for the annual Haj pilgrimage. The first maintenance shops were built in Jeddah.

1959: In April of this year, a daily air shuttle service between Jeddah and Riyadh was inaugurated, using the pressurized Convair-Liners.

1961: Routes were established to Sharjah and Tehran. In the same year, Saudi Arabian Airlines purchased two(2) Boeing 720-Bs and introduced In- Kingdom training programs.

1962: In March this year, Saudi Arabian Airlines introduced B720-Bs into service thus becoming the first airline in the Middle East to operate commercial jet airliners.

1963: Saudi Arabian Airlines was established as a corporation. By Royal Decree No. 45 dated February 19, 1963, signed by King Faisal, the airline became an autonomous entity, run by a Board of Directors, and chaired by the Minister of Defense and Aviation.

1964: Two(2) DC-6s were acquired with a third one joining the airline's fleet in 1965. Routes to Khartoum and Dubai were started.

1965: The airline joined the Arab Air Carriers Organisation (AACO) as a founding member on August 25. Service started to Bombay.

1967: Saudi Arabian Airlines joined the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on April 17. It took delivery of three(3) Douglas DC-9 twin-jets. In February of the same year, routes were opened to Tunis, Rabat and Tripoli(all via Beirut). Likewise, European connections to Geneva, Frankfurt and London(via Beirut) were opened in May.

1968: Two(2) Boeing 707-368s joined the fleet. Nonstop, twice weekly flights to London were inaugurated.

1969: Algiers was added to the network of destinations.

1971: Data Processing Centre was opened in Jeddah. New route to Rome from Jeddah opened. First nonstop all-cargo service started between the Kingdom and Europe.

1972: Saudi Arabian Airlines adopted new livery and took the name Saudia. By this time, the airline was flying to 49 destinations on three continents. This year, the airline received its first five(5) 737-200s which replaced the DC-9s, Convair 340s and DC-3s, making its fleet the most modern in the Middle East, with two B-707s, two B-720s and five 737-200s, which would later grow to a total of twenty. It was now possible to link 20 cities in the Kingdom.

1973: Saudi Arabian Airlines carried one million scheduled passengers for the first time. Special flights planned for the mass movement of teachers.

1974: New routes opened to Paris and Muscat, plus a direct Medina-Karachi route. Two (2) wide-bodied Tri-Stars ordered from Lockheed. These 214-seat aircraft would grow to a total of twenty.

1975: Twin jet Fairchild F-27J, 48-seat turboprops replaced the DC-3s in the fleet. The airline celebrated its 30th Anniversary with the purchase of two more B-707s. First of (20) L1011 Tri-Stars went into service on August 15th.

1976: On June 1, the Arabian Express, a no-reservation shuttle service, was introduced to handle the booming business traffic on the intensively-traveled Jeddah/Riyadh route. This service was extended to Dhahran on 1st August. Special Flight Services (SFS) Division was established for government and VIP service.

1977: On June 1 of this year, two 377-seat Boeing 747-200B entered service.

1978: Saudi Arabian Airlines switched over to its new Automated Reservations System. Jeddah reservations installed a Collins Automated Call Distribution(ACD) System, handling incoming reservation calls in an organised, systematic manner. Service started to Athens, Kano and Stockholm.

1979: Flight Training Centre opened. On February 1, the airline commenced joint operations with Pan Am from Dhahran to New York using long-range Boeing B747-SPs to achieve nonstop capability. Five (5) Tri-Stars joined the fleet.

1980: Three (3) additional Tri-Star joined the fleet. Also two 60-seat Fokker F-28 Fellowships, rear-engined twin-jets replaced F-27A. Routes were opened to Bangkok, Dhaka, Mogadishu and Nairobi.

1981: Saudi Arabian Airlines moved into its exclusive terminal at the newly-opened King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah. Saudi Airlines Catering Service was established. Technical Division moved into the new hangar and maintenance complex. On July 1, the first nonstop service was inaugurated from Jeddah to New York with the airline's very own Boeing B747-SP aircraft. This service, along with the Riyadh-New York service introduced later, are the only nonstop flights covering four continents, linking Asia and America, and over flying Africa and Europe in between. Flights to Madrid started. Boeing 747F Cargo service begun to London, Paris, Frankfurt and Amsterdam.

1982: Ten(10) B-747s in service by the end of this year. Flights started to Singapore, Manila, Delhi and Islamabad and resumed to Sharjah

1983: Saudi Arabian Airlines carried 11.4 million passengers this year. Nonstop flights to Seoul started. A route to Nice (summer season only) was also opened and services to Baghdad were resumed. The new King Khaled International Airport opened in Riyadh. Rolls-Royce RB-211 power plant overhaul shop opened in Jeddah.

1984: First Airbus A300-600 for which Saudi Arabian Airlines was the launch customer was delivered in March. Eleven(11) Airbus A300-600s were received and put into operation by October of the same year. Operations to Colombo started. Two(2) Cessna Citation IIs delivered to Special Flight Services charter operations. MEMIS(Materials Engineering Information System) was brought in-house after being hosted by Alitalia since 1979.

1985: Five(5) of ten(10) new Boeing 747-300s SUD(stretched upper deck) delivered. Basic Flight Training began in the Kingdom.

1986: Five(5) more B-747-300s delivered and introduced into operation. On September 1, established air cargo hub in Brussels. Flights started to Amsterdam and Lahore.

1987: Gulf Cooperation Council Aviation Services Co. Ltd. (GASCO) was established for Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, and U.A.E. This was a pioneering step towards close cooperation among GCC countries. Business class ("Horizon Class") was inaugurated on New York, London, and Cairo routes (other sectors followed soon after). New routes to Dakar and Kuala Lumpur operated. SARS (Saudi Airlines Automated Reservations System) had a successful cutover of operations from London to Jeddah. Saudi Arabian Airlines subscribed to Bahamas System of Baggage Handling and Management.

1988: On June 15th, flights inaugurated to Washington D.C., an extension of the New York service. Air cargo hub established in Taipei, Taiwan. GASCO established in-flight catering service in London, with the Marriott Corporation. GASCO has a 50% share in the kitchen, which specializes in Islamic catering.

1989: Flights started to Larnaca and Addis Ababa. Domestic service started to Hafr al-Batin. Kitchen in London became operational as Marriott/GCC(now Caterair/GCC In-flight Services, Inc.)

1990: An all-cargo route was opened up to Tokyo, Japan as an extension of the Taipei service.

1991: On April 1, flights started operating to Madras(Chennai), the airline's third Indian destination.

1992: New hostess uniforms designed by Saudi couturier Adnan Akbar was introduced.

1993: Flights operated to Asmara.

1994: Seasonal service operated to Orlando, Florida, effective July 4th. Airphone installed in selected aircraft.

1995: Saudi Arabian Airlines celebrated 50th Anniversary. On January 7, Economy Class was upgraded in a number of ways and designated as Guest Class. Children's Meal introduced. Al-Faris Executive Meal introduced in First Class for passengers who want to have their meals at any time of their choice. On October 25, 1995, Saudi Arabian Airlines order of 61 new aircraft from Boeing and McDonnell Douglas was signed and finalized in Washington D.C.

1996: New corporate identity was launched on 16 July. Scheduled services to Asmara and Addis Ababa started from Riyadh on 2nd April. Flights to Johannesburg started effective 28 October. Dhahran-Cairo flights started effective 14 December. Saudi Airlines World Wide Web goes on-line 4 December.

1997: The first of the new aircraft arrived in Riyadh on 25th December. Scheduled operations to Beirut resumed on 1st Feb. Introduced reading material in Braille for blind passengers.

1998: In mid-January, the first of the new aircraft, that is, B747-468 (HZ-AIV), B777-268 (HZ-AKB) & MD-11 (HZ-ANA) were introduced into service. The airline's first MD-90 arrived in April.

1999: Starting June 1, operations to Alexandria, Athens and Milan on a year-round basis; and Malaga and Nice, during the peak season were started. New routes were also started between Dhahran-Beirut and Riyadh-Sana'a. The airline operated its first flight SV1108 to King Fahd International Airport (KFIA) on November 28, 1999. Smoking was banned on Saudi Arabian Airlines' flights between the Kingdom and GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries, and to/from several other Middle Eastern & African countries. Saudi Airlines is among the pioneers to stop smoking on its flights with the ban on smoking on its domestic flights of less than two hours taking effect in 1987.

2000: Saudi Arabian Airlines ushers in a new era with H.R.H. Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz, Minister of Defense & Aviation signing a contract to conduct studies for the privatization of the airline on October 8, 2000. Scheduled service to Dhaka and Mumbai started from Madinah on October 31. Also, scheduled service resumed to Kano, Nigeria, from Jeddah on October 31, 2000. Carried 1,367,745 passengers in August 2000, a record for the airline. Cargo freighter service started to Delhi. Saudi Airlines Catering produced a record 13.5 million meals during 2000 for Saudi Arabian Airlines' and 50 other international airlines flights. Technical Services and Materials Management divisions of the airline received ISO-9002:1994 certification while its Printshop facility received ISO-9001:1994 certification from Moody International.

2001: The final aircraft, a Boeing 777-268 (HZ-AKW) arrived in Jeddah on August 6, 2001, thus completing Saudi Arabian Airlines' order of 61 new generation aircraft. Smoking banned on flights between the Kingdom and Europe beginning September 18th, 2001. Information Technology, Flight Operations and Cargo Sales & Services divisions received ISO-9001:2000 certification from Moody International.

2002: Saudi Arabian Airlines' new Golden Service launched to Europe, the U.S., Dubai and Kuala Lumpur with flight SV035 departing for the U.S. on March 31, 2002.

The interest and support of the Kingdom's leadership continues to strengthen the potential of the National Airline, making it competitive in the aviation industry.

Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Defence, Aviation and Inspector General, laid the foundation stone of the Prince Sultan Academy for Aviation Sciences on 24 June 2002.

The Academy will meet the needs of pilots and other cadres in the aviation field and will offer them full training in all different fields in the Kingdom. When this aim is achieved there will be no need to send any Saudi student for training abroad and also the Academy will provide the required training for foreign students.

Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General has also signed agreement with specialized consultancies to provide the required studies for the privatization of SAA. The first phase of studies for the project was finalized and included the preliminary studies in the financial, administrative, operational fields as well as comprehensive studies with regards to working forces, administrative, financial, judicial and operational restructure while specifying the strategies for a comprehensive plan. The second phase includes the implementation of the restructuring process.

In August 2003 Saudi Arabian Airlines (SV) carried 1,974,628 passengers on board its flights. This is an unprecedented record achieved by the Airline in a single month since its establishment in 1945. During the summer season of 2003, SV's operations and on-time performance was at its best. This is a positive reflection on SV's early planning and the efforts exerted by its staff.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia having recognized the advantage of regulating in a uniform manner, the conditions of international transportation by air in respect of the documents used for such transportation and of the liability of the carrier, ratified the Warsaw Convention (1929) and the Hague Protocol (1955), on 27.01.1969, the Article of which are the governing laws for the contracts for international carriage (of passengers, cargo and baggage) by air.

Saudi Arabian Airlines endorses the action program adopted by the IATA legal committee and cooperates to the maximum feasible extent in achieving its objectives of modernization of the Warsaw System, for the purpose of unification of laws to meet the global developments.

Saudi Arabian Airlines became a member of IATA ( International Air Transport Association) on 17.04.1967, which actively contributes to its efforts in bringing up the uniform rules and regulations to ensure quality in Air Transportation.

Saudi Arabian Airlines International carriage (of passengers, cargo and baggage) by air is subject to the rules and limitations relating to liability established by the Warsaw Convention as amended by the Hague Protocol.

Saudi Arabian Airlines provides maximum efficient handling process at all domestic and international airports that it operates to, either through self-handling or through appointing the most efficient international Ground Handling Agents.

The Airport and Ground Equipment Services include
1. Ground Support Equipment for passenger aircraft handling.
2. Wheelchairs and medical lifts for passengers of special needs.

Passenger Services Various services are available to passengers at airports as:
No smoking flights (Domestic, Middle East, Gulf, Europe & USA)
Accommodating First & Business class passengers in special lounges.
Providing special meals on condition of prior request.
Flexibility to issue multi boarding pass for return or onward connecting flights.
Send Passengers Services Message (PSM) for passengers requiring special services.
Assigning adjacent seats for families and groups into aircraft's.
Facilities of advance check in at airport and down town.
Issuance of return Boarding pass for Umrah passengers during the month of Ramadan, and pilgrims during the Hajj season up to 40 days in advance.
Dedicated counters for passengers with special needs.
Denied Boarding Compensation (DBC) for passengers with confirmed reservation who are denied boarding for travel.
Providing medical oxygen, stretchers and wheel chairs for patients and incapacitated passengers.
Providing separate vehicle transport to/from aircraft for First and Business class passengers.
Saudi Arabian Airlines' new fleet of aircraft also ensures its passengers unmatched in-flight comfort and convenience made possible by a balanced blend of state-of-the-art technology and centuries-old traditional Arabian hospitality.

From the ergonomically-designed seats to the cutting-edge interactive entertainment system, the clear service objective is not just to make the flight a painless way of getting from one place to another but a memorable and truly pleasant experience in itself.

Saudi Arabian Airlines offers 3 classes of travel including First, Business, and Guest classes. SAA also provide additional services to passengers with special needs, a spirit of caring that shows in the many special services and facilities it provides and continuing efforts to provide more of them.

Fifteen special meals are offered for passengers with special needs, including three types of vegetarian meals, low fat meals, gluten-free, low sodium, religious fasting meals, diabetic meals and Meals for the Blind, which feature easily- accessible food items with Braille labels and menus. There are also Children's Meals for young passengers with food types that appeal more to their tastes.

For Muslim passengers, a special area has been set aside for them to pray in peace and quiet. The facility features an electronic compass that shows the direction of the Holy City of Makkah as well as individual prayer mats.

Specially-designed cots have been installed for babies on board. These cots fix to the wall at the front of the cabin at a comfortable level for parents to attend to their babies. These fold away for storage when not required. The new bassinet was not only built with comfort in mind but also with safety as utmost priority.

A specially-designed lavatory has been constructed for ease of use of handicapped passengers. This is wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair, if necessary.

Passengers of Saudi Arabian Airlines, both on international and domestic flights, are offered high-quality international in-flight goods through SkySales.

A selection of fragrances, watches, novelties, personal accessories and other items carrying prestigious designer labels are offered on-board at very attractive prices. There are also a number of unique items that reflect the artistry of Arabic culture and heritage.

Skysales is operated by Saudi Arabian Airlines Catering as a service to further the corporate mission of being a world class airline with a distinctive Saudi character and includes not only in-flight sales but ground sales and mail order service, as well.

The commitment to quality customer service, very much an essential element of a world class organization, is well provided for through continuous training and motivational programs where the emphasis is on communication skills, product knowledge and selling techniques. Training sessions are conducted in eight Saudi Arabian Airlines bases all over the world.

Saudi Arabian Airlines provides three classes of travel in most of its aircraft, with services that are consistently driven by a single-minded determination to meet and even exceed customer expectations. Customer satisfaction is top priority both in the air and on the ground, beginning with reservations, to check-in, boarding, in-flight service, deplaning, baggage handling and assistance upon arrival.

Saudi Arabian Airlines has taken several promotional initiatives during the last few years to enhance its services as part of the airline's new corporate identity program and the restructuring process. The concept of 'Golden Service' is the product of long-range planning and is a development of our identity program. Moreover it is in line with the leadership's directives to prepare the airline for privatization. The Golden Service is the first step in the enhancement of the airline's services on the ground and in the air in an endeavor to provide outstanding services to the passengers, and to reaffirm SAA's commitment to the third component of the airline's mission statement to be a customer driven carrier.

The Al Fursan Program has been created as a unique reward and recognition scheme for regular fliers with Saudi Arabian Airlines.

Al Fursan members receive special personalized services, together with the opportunity of earning free flights, free upgrades and free holidays. Alfursan Partners, which include hotels, car rental companies, credit card and phone card organizations also provide many exciting offers.

Together with the opportunity to exchange miles for flight upgrades, are a number of additional privileges designed to make flying easier. These include personalized luggage tags, priority on the flight waiting lists, and a generous excess luggage allowance.

Thanks to Al Fursan Miles, passengers and their family can even take exclusive holidays, anywhere around the world, completely free. Which means, the whole family can enjoy your Al Fursan membership.

Considering its mission statement to be a world class airline with a distinctive Saudi character, that is customer driven and caring employer, Saudi Arabian airlines is always committed to providing top quality service and endeavors to achieve total customer satisfaction. Therefore the Customer Relation Division, is always looking forward to receiving from Saudia's customers their comments and suggestions regarding any aspect of the Saudi Arabian Airlines services. They believe that comments and suggestions made by their customers are a vital information source, which enable them to evaluate the services and take appropriate measures for improvement and will ultimately, lead them to achieve their mission.

Saudi Arabian Airlines has received many awards for its services and performances some of which are:

2002 Diamond Award from On Board Services magazine for introducing unique banana dishes on board Saudi Airlines flight in its program entitled "Bananarabia."

2002 Quality Cube Award from Lufthansa for outstanding services in South Asia and Africa region.

2001 Lufthansa Quality Cube Award - 1st Place (for Dammam unit) in the region and in the world.

2001 Certificate of Appreciation 2001 from Garuda Indonesia.

2001 Diamond Award from On Board Services magazine for Saudi Airlines program entitled "A Date with Dates."

2001 Lufthansa Rating - 4th Place in the world (Jeddah unit)

2000 Diamond Award from On Board Service magazine for outstanding onboard duty free.

2000 Diamond Award for the airline's catering & inflight services program for Autistic children.

2000 International Inflight Food Service Association (IFSA) and International Flight Catering Association (IFCA) Awards for services to passengers with special needs.

2000 Silver Plate from Royal Brunei Airlines for On Time Performance

2000 Lufthansa Quality Cube - First Place 2000 (for Jeddah unit)

2000 Lufthansa Quality Cube - Second Place (for Dammam unit)

2000 Partner in Excellence (Golden 2000-2001) award from British Airways

2000 Logistics Award 2000 from Swissair

1999 Diamond Award from On Board Services magazine for onboard services for passengers with special needs.

1999 Emerald Award for excellent food service from On Board Service magazine.

1999 Sapphire Award for excellence in SkySales from On Board Service magazine.

1999 Quality Cube Award for Middle East & Africa from Lufthansa airlines.

1999 Best Caterer in the Middle East & Africa award from Air France

1998 Quality Cube Award from Lufthansa for Saudi Arabian Airlines Catering Jeddah as the most outstanding in meeting all of airline expectations and Excellent Service Standards.

1998 Certificate of Appreciation from Royal Dutch Airlines.

1998 British Airways "Performance Bond Award" for both Jeddah and Riyadh.

1997 British Airways Award for Performance, Quality and Service.

1997 Excellent Quality Award from Lufthansa for Saudi Arabian Airlines Catering Jeddah as Best Caterer and in recognition of Excellent Service Standards.

1996 Awarded Silver Seal Performance Bond Award by British Airways for year first and second quarter of 1996.

1996 Safety shield from the Presidency of Civil Aviation.

1996 Received a Commendation of Gulf Air Best Caterer of the Year Award.

1996Best overall Consumer Audit Average Silver Award for the months of March - May 1996.

1995 Awarded a certificate for Partnership Award for Excellence between Saudi Arabian Airlines Catering and British Airways.

1994 Excellent Service Award - British Airways, Riyadh.

1993 IFSA Presidents' Award of Distinction '93 in New Orleans, U.S.A.

1993 Food Service Award from "Onboard Service magazine" in New Orleans, U.S.A.

1993 Gold Award in the In flight Service category and overall Mercury Award for "Meals for the Blind", at IFCA 93 in Amsterdam, Holland.

1993 Gold Awards for Saudi Arabian Airlines Catering Riyadh and Jeddah, from British Airways, for Performance Bond, 1992.

1993 Salon Culinaire Competition "Saudi Food 93" at Riyadh (4 Gold, 6 Silver, 8 Bronze, 7 Merit Certificates)

1992 Prix d'Excellence from Air France, as Best International Caterer, for 1991.

1992 Catering Awards and Certificate of Commendation from "Onboard Services Magazine" for the "Story of Success" video film and presentation of "Skysales Leads the World in In-flight Sales".

1992 Best short haul caterer, by Gulf Air.

1992 L'Officiel du Tourisme d'Affaires et des Congress Awards for the following categories: Best long haul E/Y meal; Best long haul B/C meal; Best B/C meal presentation; highest bronze award as best food provisioning, shared with United Airlines.

1992 IFCA Bronze Medal, for "Story of Success", Berlin, Germany.

1992 Gold and Silver Awards for Saudi Arabian Airlines Catering Riyadh and Jeddah, from British Airways, for Performance Bonds 1991.

1989 IFSA award for outstanding services and notable support to Airline Inflight/Catering Industry, at San Diego, California, U.S.A.

1989 In-flight Sales Award from "Onboard Services Magazine" at Miami, Florida, U.S.A.

1989 Salon Culinaire Competition "SaudiFood 89" at Riyadh (9 Gold, 11 Silver, 4 Bronze and Overall Medal of Honor)

1989 Nominated Official Caterer for the 5th World Youth Cup held at the King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh.

1988 Oscar - In-flight Voyage Retailer of the Year 1988 at Cannes, France.

1987 Salon Culinaire Competition "SaudiFood 87" at Riyadh (2 Gold, 6 Bronze and 6 Certificates)

1986 Mercury Sector Award for Support Services at IFCA, London.

1983 Certificate of Excellence in Hygiene from IAP, Riyadh.

1983 Ideal Kitchen Certificate from the Municipality of Jeddah for Environmental Health.

In July this year it was announced that Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAA) will soon offer direct air transmission and Internet and electronic mail services on its aircraft.

This development will make SAA the first Arab aviation company to introduce such services for its passengers.

As part of its commitment to enhance services for passengers, the Airline has also introduced a religious channel on its planes, which has religious lectures and interpretation of the Holy Quran and Hadith (the Prophet's teachings), and a channel which explains how to perform Umrah (the minor Hajj) in both Arabic and English.

Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAA) has introduced Internet reservations for domestic and international destinations, which account for the bulk of the Airline's sales with special deals and offers available on line.