A ceremony, featuring the attendance of Eng. Saleh N. al_Jasser, the Director General of Saudia, the Saudi ambassador to Sudan, and a multitude of senior officials in the airport, was held to celebrate the launching of new destination. The guests were farewelled with roses and chocolate.

The celebratory flight arrived to Port Sudan International Airport at 16:20 p.m., met with water canon salute and welcomed by Ali A. Hamed, the governor of Red Sea State, and senior officials of Port Sudan Airports, andanother ceremony was held in VIP lounge in Port Sudan Airport where Nawafal.Jaghtami, VP _ International Sale, gave a speech talking about the importance of operating flights to a new destination in Sudan in enhancing the relationship between the two countries, facilitating the pilgrims’ journeys, and providing world class service to Saudia’s guests travelling to and fro Sudan. al.Jaghtami stated that the first flight ever to Port Sudan was in 1947 by DC-3 carrying 27 passengers. He declared that the operational statistics in 2016 shows that Saudia’sflights to Khartoum handled 562.000 guests, and is aiming to handle 712.000 during 2017.

Moreover, Mr. Ali H. Jaafar, Saudi Ambassador to the Republic of Sudan, expressed his pleasure with the launching of the new destination, affirming that this step will enhance the relationship between the two countries.

At the end of the ceremony, al-Jaghtami provided memorials to both the Saudi ambassador to Sudan and Tourism Minister in Red Sea State, Saleh Salah. Guests onboard SV464, the first flight departed from Port Sudan, were farewelled.