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SAUDI ARABIAN AIRLINES

AN AIRLIN AND ITS AIRCRAFT

An Illustrated History of the Largest Airline in the Middle East

By R.E.G. Da\ ies

Illustrated by Mike Machat
saudia ~;W!,.. iilJgmull
SAUDI ARABIAN AIRLINES

AN AIRLINE AND ITS AIRCRAFT

An Illustrated History of the
Largest Airline in the Middle East
 OTHER BOOKS BY R.E.G. DAVIES

A History of the World's Airlines

Airlines of the United States Since 1914
Airlines of Latin America Since 1919
Continental Airlines - The First Fifty Years
Rebels and Reformers of the Airways
Pan Am: An Airline and Its Aircraft
Lufthansa: An Airline and Its Aircraft
Delta: An Airline and Its Aircraft
Aeroflot: An Airline and Its Aircraft
Fallacies and Fantasies of Air Transport History
Commuter Airlines of the United States
(with Imre Quastler)

....
-

SAUDI ARABIAN AIRLINES

AN AIRLINE AND ITS AIRCRAFT

An Illustrated History of the Largest Airline in the Middle East

By R.E.G. Davies
Illustrated by Mike Machat

4'R
~
 © 1995 Saudi Arabian Airlines

All rights reserved. No part of this publication including photographs, maps, and artwork, may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information
storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of Saudi Arabian Airlines.

Unless otherwise indicated, all photographs in this book have been supplied from
the Public Relations Dept. and from the photographic archives of Saudia.

Published by Paladwr Press, 1906 Wilson Lane, #10 I, McLean, Virginia 22102-1957, USA

Manufactured in Hong Kong

Book Design by R.E.G. Davies

Artwork by Mike Machat

Maps by R.E.G. Davies

Technical editing by John Wegg

Typesetting/Layout by Spot Color, Oakton, Virginia

Prepress and press management by The Drawing Board

ISBN 0-9626483-7-X

First Edition

"-~
SAA SDI
Contents
Foreword A Gathering of the Nations (cont.) The Muslim World 36-37
and Introduction ............................................................... 6-7 Airlift Extraordinary The Pilgrimage People 38-39

Prelude Wide-Bodied Jets (and Supporting Cast)

The Sands of Time and the The Wide-Bodied Era Begins Lockheed L-IO II TriStar 200 40-41
Advent of Islam Determined Independence 8-9 Replacing the DC-3 Fairchild F-27J 42-43
Development of Transport Trans-Atlantic Route Boeing 747-168B 44-45
in Arabia ... . .. by Camel, Ship, and Train 10-11 Supplementing the Front Line Douglas DC-8-55 46-47
Emergence of a Nation Establishing a Kingdom 12-13 Heavy Freighters Douglas DC-8-63F 48-49
The Need for Air Transport Douglas DC-3 14-15 The Charter Business Grumman Gulfstream IV SO-51

The Early Years New Jet Generation

SDI's First Routes Bristol 170 Freighter Mk 21E 16-17 Launch Customer Airbus A300B4-620 52-53
The Way it Was 'Old Faithful' 18-19 World-Wide Stature Boeing 747-368 54-55
Command Performance for
an Arabian Monarch Douglas C-54/DC-4 20-21 The Great Airports
A Modern Twin Convair 340 22-23 The Kingdom's Busiest King Abdulaziz
The Importance of Air Freight Douglas DC-6A 24-25 Airport, at Jeddah International Airport 56-57
The World's Most Beautiful
The Jet Age Begins Airport, at Riyadh King Khaled International Airport .... 58-59
The First Jet Services Boeing nOB 26-27
Short-Haul Jet Douglas DC-9-15 28-29 Chronology ........................................................... 60-61
Into the Big Leagues Boeing 707-300 30-31
Yesterday and Today ................................................................. 62
Expanding Horizons Boeing 737-200 32-33
At the Helm of Saudia ................................................................. 63
The Hajj
A Gathering of the Nations The Hajj 34-35 Index ................................................................. 64

•
~r
saudia
 H.R.H. Prince Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz H.M. the late King Abdulaziz Bin Abdulrahman Al Saud The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques
Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister Founder of the Kingdom o.(Saudi Arabia King Fahd Bin Abdulaziz
and Commander ofthe National Guard

"The services peljormed hy Saudia "Like other world airlines, Saudia is

since it wasfirstfollnded are meantjor
the comfort and care of Saudi citi:ens
and all other passengers, hath domes-
tically and internationally."
Sultan Bin Abdulaziz
currently facing challenges affecting
the entire airline industry, and we look
jorward to addressing them with posi-
Ih'e aClion. There is no doubt that
Salldia, with its I'ast experience gained
ol'erthe years, shall be able to achiel'e
its goals and objectil'es."

Fahd Bin Abdullah

H.R.H. Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz H.H. Prillce Fahd Bin Abdullah Bill
Second DepulY Prime Minister. Millisler Muhammad Bill Saud Al Saud
o.t'Defellce alld A"iatioll alld Illspector Assislalll Millisler o(De(ellce alld
General (Chairmall o(the Saudia A"iatiOllfor Ci"il A"iafioll Affairs
Board o(DireclOrs!

6
Foreword and Introduction
Dr. Khaled A. Ben-Bakr
Director General
Saudi Arabian Airlines
The story that unfolds in these pages is a far from simple one
because it is also a story of great significance in the growth
and development of the modern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The first half century of Saudia-Saudi Arabian Air-
lines-very closely parallels the development of modern civil
aviation throughout the world. But more important, it has run
both parallel to and contributed mightily towards the emer-
gence ofthe Kingdom as a modern and highly developed state.
Yet, like the Kingdom, Saudia has remained steadfastly true
to its Arabian roots, maintaining its unique Saudi character,
while at the same time painstakingly serving the needs of the
people of Saudi Arabia, and of all Muslims worldwide in their
duty to perform Umrah and Hajj during their lifetimes. In the
process Saudia has also evolved into one of the world's largest
and most respected international airlines serving the travel and
cargo needs of communities throughout Europe and North
America, Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and the Far East.
From the outset, in 1945, it was the express desire of the
late King Abdulaziz that the young airline should give
priority to providing safe and affordable transportation to the
people, and that Saudia always be dedicated to serving Islam.
Today, despite the outward trappings of the latest tech-
nology of an airline Iike Saudia, the massive infrastructure of
some ofthe most modern airports and air traffic navigational
support systems in the world, the airline continues, by the
grace of God and with the continued support of the Govern-
ment of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, to uphold
these solemn duties as a privilege.
Join us on a journey through these pages, through the first
50 years of Saudia. Join us too, as we begin a new journey at
the start of our second half-century into the rapidly evolving
and changing international aviation environment.
-Dr. Khaled A. Ben-Bakr
Author's Preface
Saudia, An Airline and its Aircraft is the history of the
largest airline in the Middle East and by some measures,
among the top 25 airlines of the world.
For the majority of English-speaking readers, the history
and geography of Saudi Arabia are outside the average
experience. Few non-Saudis realize, for example, that Saudi
Arabia is almost as big as western Europe, and a third as big
as the United States; that the country itself was not created as
a Kingdom until 1932 (by which time, almost every major
country in the world had established airlines); and that public
transport of any kind was sparse and sporadic until after the
Second World War. The book thus begins with a section
describing these features to emphasize both the importance
of an airline service, and the critical elements of time and
place that went into its creation.
Saudia provides one of the finest on-board meal services
in the world. This is supplied mainly by the airline's own
catering service, where the standards of excellence by any
measure are unsurpassed. Beyond this, and in six weeks of
concentrated activity, is the annual Hajj (pilgrimage), during
which Muslims converge in huge numbers upon the holy cities
of Makkah and Madinah. We have tried to portray the Hajj in a
special six-page section.
This book follows the familiar pattern of the previous
volumes. The left-hand pages usually relate the history wl)ile
the right-hand pages describe the airliners that have made
such a vital contribution to that history.
These right-hand pages are embellished by Mike Machat's
technically accurate aircraft profiles. In support of the drawings
are data on every individual Saudia aircraft that has ever been
registered, compiled by another member of the Paladwr
team, John Wegg.
- R.E.G. Davies
Artist's Remarks
To compile the Saudia color scheme has been an enjoyable
experience, not least because it gave me a first-hand acquain-
tance with the elegance of Arabic script; and I hope that my
renderings will meet the high standards of Arabic scholars
and master craftsmen of that superb calligraphy.
Following past custom, all aircraft are compared graphi-
cally with Saudia's biggest type today. One additional draw-
ing came as something of a revelation. The comparison of the
Boeing 747 models (see page 54) shows that the upper deck
alone compares in size with the cabin of a Boeing 737-200.
- Mike Machat
Technical Commentary
To conserve space, some abbreviations have been used,
for example: LF=leased from, LT=leased to,
Regn=registration, WFU=withdrawn from use, and
WO=written off. The term MSN (manufacturer's serial num-
ber) has been used throughout, in preference to the com-
monly used cln (constructor's number).
Delivery dates are, whenever possible, quoted as the date
of transfer of title, rather than when the aircraft left the
factory or arrived at Saudia's Jeddah headquarters.
The comprehensive tables list every individual aircraft
that operated with Saudia title, compiled from official Saudi
documentation, supplemented by the database of Airways
International, Inc., which, in turn, draws its information from
a network of sources worldwide.
-John Wegg
Acknowledgements
I am especially indebted to Yarub A. Balkhair, G.M. Public
Relations department of Saudia and his staff, for providing
much data and photographic material and in ensuring
accuracy and emphasis to my text. Ismail I. Nawwab and
Muhammad Salahuddin, especially, made valued contribu-
tions in the chapters relating to the history of the Kingdom,
of Islam, and of the Hajj.
Dr. Angelo Pesce scrutinized the entire work and his
recommendations too are very much appreciated.
Among several contributors, Ralph Lewis especially
provided some excellent photographs of the early years of
the airline, whilst Klaus Vomhof and Barry Dowsett have
generously shared with me their first-hand knowledge of
Saudia's history.
Additionally, rare photographs have been made avail-
able from the archives of the Royal Geographical Society,
London, and from the National Geographic Society, Wash-
ington, D.C.
All the Paladwr team, including our layout specialist,
Spot Color, made valuable suggestions, while Dr. Christo-
pher Sterling has given much shrewd advice.
- R.E.G. Davies
7
The Sands of Time and the Advent of Islam
Cradle for Life
The large land mass-almost a sub-continent-that is Arabia,
has been inhabited since the dawn of civilized society. In the
southwestem paI1, the Minaean civilization flourished as long as
3,000 years ago. It was superseded by the Sabaean Kingdom,
home of the Queen of Sheba, and this, in turn, gave way to the
Himyaritic Kingdom by the early centuries CE. (Common Era).
Around 450 B.C, the great Greek historian, Herodotus,
had regarded Arabia as the southernmost place on earth, but by
135 C.E., the mathematician-geographer Ptolemy, born in
Greece but working at Alexandria, Egypt, had a wider vision.
He identified Arabia as an area in a larger continent, and
identified three sub-divisions: Arabia Petraea, in the region
now known as Jordan; Arabia Deserta, now southern Iraq and
comprising the larger part of the Arabian Peninsula; and
Arabia Felix, covering the remainder of this vast land.
The Advent of Islam
By the sixth century CE., any connotation of happiness, as
Ptolemy's 'Felix' implied, had all but disappeared not only
from southwestern Arabia but from the entire peninsula.
Discord was rife everywhere and disunity ripped the land
apart. Most tribes disputed territory and possessions and
constantly engaged in internecine warfare.
It was in this century that a momentous event occurred,
whose lasting and transforming effects were not confined
merely to Arabia. This was the birth of a man in Makkah.
Within the space of one generation, that man introduced
changes that affected all facets of the contemporary daily life
The !Jarrell ....astes o{the RII!J' al-Khali.
8
of one sixth of humanity: its religious, political, cultural, legal,
social, economic, literary, scientific, governmental and philo-
sophical being. The message that he brought surged as a wave
from the Arabian peninsula, sweeping over desert and town,
steppe and mountain, plateau and peak, ocean and island,
finally to break on the fringes of the Atlantic and the Pacific
with the course of history changed in its path forever.
The man was the Prophet ofIslam, Muhammad son of Abd
Allah, son of Abd al-Muttalib, son of Hashim, whom God
commanded to insist, "I am but a human being like your-
selves" (The Qur'an, 18: 110). He was born in570 CE. into the
Banu Hashim, an illustrious family belonging to the Quraysh,
the ruling tribe of Makkah, the most important town of the
Hijaz region of northwestern Arabia.
The Makkan Setting
The people of this town were descendants of Abraham through
his son Ishmael. According to tradition, Abraham and Ishmael
built the Ka'bah together for the worship of the one God. It was
also Abraham who established the pilgrimage to Makkah.
When Muhammad was born, the town was still a religious
center, though most of its citizens, straying far from the
monotheism of Abraham, had become polytheists and had
defiled the sanctuary with idols.
Apart from its importance as a religious center, Makkah
was preeminent because of the material prosperity and wealth
it had achieved as a result of its geographical position and the
commercial and financial acumen of the Quraysh. It lay on the
only secure and economical international route for the transit
of goods coming from the Indian Ocean and destined for Gaza,
Bostra, and Damascus in the Mediterranean region. This
world trade involved the exchange of large quantities of
imported silk, spices, textiles-and to a lesser extent, frankin-
cense and myrrh-for grain and wine from Byzantine Syria.
Despite or because of its prosperity, Makkah in the sixth
century had an ugly side. It was experiencing a progressive
breakdown of social bonds, extremes of wealth and poverty,
the erosion of moral values, overwhelming arrogance of the
materially successful, oppression of women, slaves and the
dispossessed, and a belief that material prosperity was the be-
all and end-all of life.
The Call to Prophethood
Rejecting polytheism, Muhammad began to retreat for solitude
and meditation each year to a cave in Mount Hira, which lies
within the city limits of modern Makkah. It was there one night
in61 0 CE. during the month of Ramadan, when he was 40 years
old, that he heard an angel command him, "Recite!" He replied,
"I cannot recite." The angel then grasped him and squeezed him
until Muhammad was exhausted. Twice more the angel repeated
the command; twice more, Muhammad gave the same response;
twice more the angel sq ueezed him in the same way. Finally, after
the third time, Muhammad received the first divine revelation
and heard the angel assure him, "0 Muhammad, you are indeed
the Messenger of God, and I am Gabriel."
The message of Islam, revealed to the Prophet and re-
corded in the Qur'an, is considered by Muslims to be the final,
universal and immutable revelation of God, who had already
sent a succession ofearlier prophets with the same message of
divine unity and right conduct. Muhammad, "the Seal of the
Prophets," was the last.
Islam's Essential Teachings
Muslims are required by their faith to believe in all the
prophets whom God sent to humankind, including Moses and
Jesus, and to consider their followers the recipients of divine
grace and guidance through the scriptures revealed to their
prophets. Islam is noted for its uncompromising monotheism.
Its vision of the world is based on justice, love, mercy, right
conduct and service to God and humanity. It emphasizes
God's creativity, greatness, omniscience, omnipotence and
grace, and His resurrection of the dead for judgment. It
vehemently criticizes greed and indifference to pain and
poverty and urges its adherents to be socially responsible.
Islam is faith and practice, belief and deeds. To practice
their faith, Muslims must accept five primary obligations.
Called the Five Pillars ofIsJam, they are: the profession of the
faith (shahadah), devotional worship (salah), the religious
tax (:akah), fasting (sawl17) of the month of Ramadan, and the
pi 19rimage to Makkah (hajj).
The Opposition of the Quraysh
The religious and social teachings of Islam went against the
grain of the pagan aristocracy of the Quraysh. They feared
that their economy and prestige would suffer from the strict
monotheism of Islam and its vehement onslaught on their
pantheon of gods and goddesses. They also refused to accept
that God would resurrect the dead and judge th m according
to their deeds. Moreover, the brotherhood of all believers, an
essential principle in Islam, was anathema to the Quraysh,
who were not willing to allow class barriers, from which they
benefited, to be demolished.
Determined Independence
The Emigration to Madinah and the Prophet's Legacy
The Makkans thus escalated their persecution of the growing number of Muslims, the vast
majority of whom were young or of humble origins. But Islam gained converts elsewhere. Some
citizens of the northern town ofYathrib-which became known as Madinah during the Prophet's
time-embraced the new faith and Muslims from Makkah began to emigrate there. In 622 CE.
the Prophet, too, emigrated to Yathrib after learning that his enemies planned to assassinate him. _Railroads
'
After the migration or hijrah, the Prophet continued to face many difficulties and threats, >~~~~~~~Ba t·In . t _Divided Highways
(Freeways)
external and internaL Under divine guidance, he organized the Muslims as a unified, God- boA 'fa.fJIla1 ~Other Main Roads
conscious, dynamic community within a state having a system of law and institutions built on Dammam
justice and high moral principles. The persecuted prophet of Makkah became, in addition, the I Khobar
successful statesman of Madinah, and by the time of his death in Madinah on Monday, 8 June
632 CE., the acknowledged temporal and spiritual leader of all of Arabia.
The seed of the divine message which Muhammad so painstakingly sowed in the inhospitable
soil of his birthplace, Makkah, and which sprouted vigorously in Madinah during his lifetime,
unified Arabia for the first time and earned it a place of distinction in history. It provided the basis
for a universal Muslim civilization that has endured and enriched humankind spiritually and
culturally. This seed has continued to grow and bear abundant fruit in every corner of the globe,
where Islam's multilingual and multiethnic followers now number about a billion.
The history of the Arabian peninsula can thus be divided conveniently into two periods: the
pre-Islamic and Islamic. In the pre-Islamic period Arabia had little influence on the world. But
after the advent of Islam, not only were Arabian history and society transformed, but also those
of the whole globe; and thus for several centuries, Arabia played a key role in world affairs.

The Spirit of Independence

By the eighth century CE., Arabia had become a province of the Ummayyad Empire, centered on
Damascus. Remarkably, however, the Arabic language and its striking calligraphy remained as a
cultural foundation in all the lands previously occupied, which adopted Arabic as acommon tongue.
During the subsequent centuries, Arabia was claimed successively by the Carmathians of
Bahrain, by the Baghdad caliphate, and then by the Egyptian caliphate, which occupied the Hijaz
in 1258 CE. Finally, on an historic date that was to be a turning point in the affairs of the Middle
East, the Turkish Sultan Salim I, whose Ottoman Empire was then based at Constantinople
(Istanbul), conquered Egypt in 1517 CE. Egypt's domains reached along both sides of the Red
Sea, but the Ottomans never extended their influence beyond the coastal areas.
THE KINGDOM OF SAUDIA ARABIA
REGD
The Killgdom o/Salldi Arabia as i/ is IOdav has a 10llg his/oFI'. which is described all/his alld /he
following pages. Examples of/he modem roads sholl'lI oil/his map call be seell on page f3. These are ill
s/riking con/rast with those showlI all page f4, alld /hey ril'idlr emplwsi:e the aSlOllishillg de\'elopmelll of
SOlidi Arabia dllrillg a period of little more /hall haifa ceil/lily of commercial alld illdllstrial groll'/h.

AI Saud and the Second Saudi State
One of the fiercely independent movements from the central region of the Arabian peninsula was
led by Muhammad ibn Saud, who established the first State of AI Saud. By the beginning of the
19th Century, Muhammad ibn Saud occupied Oman, Yemen, Karbela, on the Euphrates River,
and had taken control of the holy city of Makkah.
But this ascendance was temporary. On 9 September 1818, the Saudi capital at Dir'iyyah
surrendered to the Egyptian forces of the Ottomans. The Ottoman Empire was able to command
the coastal strips, but it never penetrated the heartland of Arabia (see map).
In 1824, Abdullah's son, Turki, re-established the Saudi State at a new capital, Riyadh, and
from this fortress, faced severe threats from some tribes. It also had to watch to the northeast,
where the Turkish governor in Baghdad had occupied the Ahsa region, and designated the ajd-
Saudi territory-as a separate province. But while the Najd may have appeared on Ottoman maps,
it was never occupied or seriously threatened by Ottoman forces.
In 1891, a tribal leader, Muhammad ibn Rashid, won a battle over the Saudis at Mulaida, and
extended his sovereignty over an area from Jouf in the north to Wadi al-Dawasir in the south. The
Saudis were exiled to the north, but after ibn Rashid died in 1897, Abdulaziz AI Saud, aged only
20, led a daring attack with only 40 warriors, and recaptured Riyadh in 1902 CE. He extended
his rule to Qassim in 1904, and was eventually to capture Hail in 1921.
Since 1517 CE. (see opposite) the Hijaz had been a dependency of the Ottoman Empire, with
local affairs in the hands of the Sharifs of Makkah. In 1845, Egypt's local administration passed
to Istanbul. Although the Hijaz became a separate kingdom after the Great War of 1914-18, its
power was precarious, and it fell under Saudi rule in 1924 (see page 12).

9
 Development of Transport in Arabia • • •
Trading Routes to the East
From time immemorial, the Arabian peninsula-almost a
sub-continent-has lain athwart the trading routes between
Europe and the Orient. The favored maritime itinerary was
via the Red Sea which provided the most convenient route,
involving as it did only a short stretch of land crossing. By the
end of the 15th Century, ships bound for the Orient were able
to take the newly-discovered route around southern Africa,
thus eliminating a double trans-shipment in Egypt. Four
hundred years later in 1869, the opening of the Suez Canal
changed entire intercontinental travel patterns, and merchant
and naval ships were able to sail without hindrance by the
short cut to the East.
The other route, somewhat shorter in absolute distance, During the great years of camel transport, the roads were mere Usually lhere were no roads al all. (phOIO: Nalional
was overland across the Turkish territory of the Ottoman lracks. (pholO: Dr. Angelo Pesce Collection) Geographic Sociely)
Empire, to reach the Arabian Gulf at the estuaries of the
Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Such a route stimulated interest
in the German-initiated Baghdad Railway. number, however, pales into insignificance, when compared Serving the Pilgrimage
with those of past eras. The exigencies of physical geography controlled the selec-
The Ubiquitous Camel Reports of caravans during the 16th Century refer to the tion of the most favored routes. While there were several
Until very recent times, even as late as the mid-20th Century, number of camels ranging from 35,000 to 40,000. One well-trodden ways from Baghdad across the Najd region of
overland journeys were made almost entirely by the' Ships of report, dated 1554, refers to one caravan of 20,000 camels central Arabia, the busiest ones were from Damascus and
the Desert,' the ubiquitous Arabian camels. Thecamel trains, that was two leagues (about six miles orten kilometers) long. Cairo, whose paths met near Tabuk and continued south-
or caravans, were formerly of enormous size, especially Another records the plight of 20,000 pilgrims and 100,000 wards through the Hijaz.
when serving the transport needs of the pilgrims going to and camels which, in the year 1607, suffered enormous casual- Supplementing the overland camel caravans were the sea
from Makkah during the Hajj. The most important of the ties because of the lack of water. routes from Africa across the Red Sea, from India across the
caravan routes was from Damascus, which was the assembly While the camel has been legendary in its ability to Arabian Sea, and thence via the Arabian Gulf or the Red Sea.
area for caravans from Istanbul and other northern and survive for weeks without water, there were limits, because During the early years of the 20th Century, two railways
eastern points, and which, as they travelled southward, of the scarcity of freshwater wells. These were often at were built, the Baghdad Railway, aimed at the Arabian Gulf;
collected other tributary caravans from Mediterranean intervals of more than a hundred miles. Paradoxically, while and the Hijaz Railway. The latter actually reached Madinah
countries. the camel has been superseded today by the jet airplane and in 1911, but operated for only a few years, until it was
Camel caravans are seldom to be seen today, because of multi-lane highways, it would be well supplied with water, destroyed during the Great War of 1914-18.
the advent of other forms of land transport and the expansion thanks to the harnessing of vast underground water depos- Although plans were made to resurrect the railway con-
of sea routes. But even as late as the mid-19th Century, caravans its-aquifers-with which modern Saudi Arabia has turned nection after the War, these never reached fruition, partly
from Central Asia could comprise 7,000 camels. Even such a arid deserts into well-irrigated fertile land. because of political uncertainties in Arabia.

'1ia\~.*\
'/ \~0IInrl\~ f
."

photo: NOlional Geographic Sociely

10
....-

••• by Camel, Ship, and Train

Ships Sitch as Ihese hal'e been
plring Ihe coaSIS ojArabiaJor
Meshed 0 From
Iholtsands oJyears.
(phoro: Dr. Angelo Pesce Central Asia
TQbri~
/ Colleclion)
o Tehran

o Isfahan
Karachi
o

HOil
O
o Buraidah
Dir'iyyah 0 Oal-Yamamah
(al-Kharj) S & R·
The Hijaz Railway operaled MADINAH -- ea rver

FOn! 190910 /9/4. The build- ........- Railway

ings al Tabuk (below) slill
e.rislloday. (pholos: RGS) Jeddo 0 MAKKAH SURFACE ROUTES
Suakin ~ Giron advent of
Transport
Massawa) "-(0\..0 Hadaldah
From
Makha'-...../ Aden
Gandaro East Africa

11
Emergence of a Nation
The First Ballies
After Abdulaziz had entered Riyadh (see page 9), he set about
the task of consolidating his leadership of central and eastem
Arabia. His approach in securing the loyalty of the Bedouin
tribes was an example of applied psychology which drew from
religious conviction.
Effectively, Abdulaziz now reigned as far as the Rub' al-
Khali, or The Empty Quarter, and this arid desert became the
de facto southern frontier of the Najd.
Turkish influence in the area to the north had by now
receded, weakened by involvement in the Great War of
1914-18. Abdulaziz had already taken control of the Ahsa
province, by capturing Hofuf in 1914. In contrast with
previous custom, the defeated Turkish garrison was escorted
to the coast and allowed to depart in peace.
The West is Won
The rivalry between eastern and western Arabian factions
came to a head in a dispute over the sovereignty of the al-
Khurma area, some 200km east of Makkah. Sharif Husain
asked the British Government to mediate, and in 1919 Lord
Curzon decided in his favor. But Abdulaziz entered the
Hijaz at Tarabah and won a famous victory. He preferred to
regroup and to extend his domain to other parts of Arabia in
Killg Abdllla:i:
AI SOlid
12
what could be termed a policy of encirclement. First, in 1920,
he entered Abha, capital of Asir; then Hail, the Jabal Shammar
base, in 1922; Jouf in 1923, and in September 1924, marched
into Taif.
Abdulaziz reached Makkah in October 1924 and on 5
December made a formal entry into the holy city. Jeddah and
Madinah soon accepted the Saudi rule, followed by the last
outpostsofYanbu and Wedjh. On8 January 1926, Abdulaziz
Al Saud was proclaimed King of the Hijaz.
Establishment of a Kingdom
In October 1926, Asir recognized Abdulaziz and in February
1927, Najd was proclaimed a Sultanate. In May of that year,
a treaty was signed with Great Britain and the frontier
between Najd and the British-sponsored territories of
Transjordan and Iraq was established. In January 1928, a
new currency, the riyal, was adopted.
Abdulaziz consolidated his position as an Arabian mon-
arch. In 1932, he established the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,
and ruled wisely and with great authority until his death in 1953.
As the maps on this page indicate, this was no small
responsibility. Saudi Arabia is as large as almost any dozen These two maps compare Ihe si:e afSaudi Arabia with Europe and
countries of Europe or a third the size of the continental United the United Slales.
States.
.....
... ...
.....
"' ...
Theftrsl Saudi mililary pilols were lrailled by Ihe llalian Air
Force. Here King Abdllla:i: is see II after ilLljJecling a Iri-motor
Caprolli Co 101. (Collnes." Dr. Allgelo Pesce ColleClioll)
Establishing a Kingdom
These historic balconied windows were typical of the main streets
offeddah in the early years. (photo: Ralph Lewis)
Salldi Arabia is not all desert. Large areas of once-arid, bllt now
well-irrigated land have been cllitivated.
III the sOllthwest, the mOlllltainOllS areas of Asir make a striking
contrast with the Rul], al-Khali (see page 8).
,"
This view Or modern feddah is in striking contrast with that of
'old' feddah, also illustrated on this page.
Typical of the urban constructioll in Salldi Arabia today, this is the
Ministry of Labor Intersection in Riyadh, capital of the Killgdom.
Thanks to a massil'e program of irrigation, parts of !lOrthem Salldi
Arabia are lInrecogni:able./i'om the parched lands of'the past.
One of'the marvels of modern engineering, the King Fahd bridge-
causeway links Dammam/Dhahran/AI Khobar with the island State
of Bahrain. This used to be aile of Saudia , .I busiest rolltes.
Iligeniolls planning alld remarkable cOllstmetion have givell Salldi
Arabia a network of excelielit roads. This aile lillks Abha wilh G/:all.
13

The Need for Air Transport
A Harsh Environment
Until the discovery of oil in Saudi Arabia, its economic
resources were slender, and mainly dependent on agricul-
ture, which was confined to special products such as dates,
except in the southern areas of Asir and Gizan, where more
diverse crops were possible. As described on pages 10 and
I I, the camel was still the main form of transport unti I well
into the 1930s. The sandy and stony deserts did not lend
themselves to easy road-building and the financing required
for either the extension of the old Hijaz Railway or the
construction of new lines was not available, either from the
Kingdom's resources or from foreign investors.
Paved roads were not built until after the end of the
Second World War, except in the coastal area of the Arabian
Gulf, where the Arabian American Oil Company (ARAMCO)
was beginning to establish itself.
..
'.-"'"-~~:
...."7~
~
(Top) One oftheji"rst motor cars in Saudi Arabia. this Model T
Ford IVas apparently a station wagon conl'ersion. (Courtesy the
Philby Papers. Trinitl' College. Cambridge. ria Dr. Angelo Pesce)
(bottom) Not all ofArabia is desert; but much of the remainder is
farji"O/7I easily 1I'0rkabie land. (Courtesy Dr. A7Igelo Pesce)
14
Areas of settlement in
scattered communities
Population of {over 200,000 <:')
cities and towns 100,000-200,0000
in 1950 20.000-100.000 0
The Air Solution to a Clear-cut Demand
Riyadh is 400 kilometers from the Arabian Gulf, and three
times that distance from Makkah or Jeddah (see map). This
coast-to-coast journey is about the same as that between
London and Stockholm, Warsaw, or Budapest; or between
New York and Chicago. Such a distance is ideal for air
transport, as even a normal express train would take a very
long day of tiring travel. Although Riyadh expanded as the
capital of a growing nation, it was still comparatively iso-
lated from the Red Sea and especially from the Holy Cities.
Then, in 1945, the inspiration for the formation of an airline
occurred, and Saudi Arabia prepared for air transport.
EMERGENCE OF AN URBAN COMMUNITY
REGD
The Royal Blessing
In May 1945, the United States President, Franklin D.
Roosevelt, presented a Douglas C-47 (DC-3) transport to
Saudi Arabia. It was accepted in Jeddah by one of the royal
princes. Later in the year, King Abdulaziz was en route from
Riyadh to Taif, his summer residence in the mountains east
of Makkah, in preparation for a pilgrimage to the Holy City.
He requested the DC-3 to meet him on the Riyadh-Taifroad.
He completed his journey by air, and thus began the history
of commercial aviation in Saudi Arabia.
(Top) By the early 19305, road transport offered an alternative to
the camel (but without air conditioning). (Bollom) Sometimes the
desert sa7ld tended to impede progress. (photos by Lady E,'elyn King Abdula:i: disembarks from the DC-3 presented to him by
Cobbold a7ld Ladv Geraldille Rende!. respectil·elr. conrtesy the President Roosel'elt i71 1945. The King's accepulI/ce of air travel
Geographical Maga:ine. Lond07l . .Ianuarv 1938) laid thefoundatiollS of Saudi Arabian Airlines.
SDI's First Routes
The Beginning
Saudi Arabian Airlines (known as SDI) was formed as an
operating agency of the Ministry of Defence in 1946. Two
more 24-seat DC-3s were purchased and on 14 March 1947
scheduled service began on the trunk route connecting the
Arabian Gulf with the Red Sea, Dhahran-Riyadh-Jeddah;
and Hofuf was soon included as an intermediate stop. Taif,
where King Abdulaziz had his summer residence, was served
during the summer months.
Route expansion was at first confined to connections to
neighboring countries, and more DC-3s were added to build
up to a fleet often by the end of 1947. From the start, Jeddah
was I inked with Cairo, via Madinah, and early in 1948, a
second trans-border route opened from Jeddah to Damascus
and Beirut. The first airport, with organized installations for
maintenance and passengers was establ ished at Jeddah, near
the city center, in the Kandara district.

A Transport Revolution
Air transport changed the life style of an entire nation. Until
the end of the Second World War, Saudi Arabia had no
domestic air services. Now, in the late 1940s, a journey that This piclltre encapsulates the airline environment in Saudi Arabia during the formative years ofSDI. While the DC-3s were supplemented by
could take up to two months by camel transport was suddenly the larger Bristol J 70s, the ground facilities were still austere; aud in some places, as suggested by this picture, they were nonexistent. Yet
reduced to a 4 1/2 hour air trip. only 30 years atterthis picture was taken (about 1952) Saudi Arabia was to have the most modem airports in the world. (photo: National
Geographic Society)

Dhahran Hail

Jeddah

1947

REGf)
For a fell' years. domeslic air service lI'as confined 10 Ihe trans-Arabian rOlllefrom .Ieddah 10 Rivadh alld Dhahrall. ROllle expallsioll lI'as hindered 1101 so much hy the shooage ofaircra[1 bUI bv Ihe lIeed 10 huild (III
illtraslmoure of sen-iceahle airfields. This lI'as svstematically carried 0111 ill {/II airport eOIlSlmelioll progralll. ilhlSlraled hy Ihis series of maps. Firsl. Ihe Najd and Ihe sOlllhem regiolls: Ihen the lIooh. lI'ilh a fleet of
DC-3s alld BrislOI /705. alld ojJeeiallv COII\'air 340s. II'hieh hroughl pressuri:ed eomtorllo a dome.Hie lIeMork Ihal sen'ed e"erv populmed area of Saudi Arahia.

16
Bristol 170 Freighter Mk 21 E
32 SEATS. 160mph

••• • r;J. HZ-AAB

U ~.,.v-

Bristol Hercules 672 (1,690 hp) x 2.40,000 lb. max. gross take-off weight. Range 400 miles

The Ugly Duckling

When the British Aircraft industry began to revive its manufacture of commercial aircraft Comparison with Boeing 747
towards the end of the Second World War, one of the projects was an interesting design from LENGTH 68ft • SPAN 108ft
the Bristol Aeroplane Company. The Type 170 was an orthodox 'tail-sitter' and rather box-
shaped, Jacking the now-accepted 'classical' monocoque fuselage lines of aircraft such as the
DC-3. The wing was based on that of the pre-World War II Bombay troop transport, and two
more interesting features were added. The cockpi t was placed on top of the fuselage so that more
cabin space was available; and furthermore, direct access could be made through the fuselage
nose, and this was more useful for loading bulky items of freight.
It first went into service with the British Channel Island Airways in the summer of 1946, and
proved itself to be a rugged and sturdy aircraft. In Europe it was used for a car ferry service
between England and France, and it was exported to Europe, Brazil, West Africa, Pakistan, Australia,
and New Zealand. A total of 215 Bristol Wayfarers (the passenger version with a fixed nose) and
Freighters was built. Bristol 170 Mk 21 E Freighter
In June 1949, Saudi Arabian Airlines purchased five Freighters. These were the Mark 21E
Regn. MSN Delivery Date Remarks
variant, adaptable for passengers or freight. The Bristols were also used to transport medicine
and supplies throughout the Kingdom. In partnership with the venerable DC-3, the Bristol 170 SA-AM 12790 04 Aug 49 ex G-AILZ

}
All re-registered wilh HZ-
helped to pioneer the first air routes into the desert strips of the Najd, the heartland of the SA-AAB 127B3 2B Jun 49 ex G·AIFX, WO 25 Mar 5B, Guriol oirslrip
prefix, March 1952;
Kingdom. The fleet was finally retired in December 1958. SA-AAC 12772 DB Aug 49 ex G-AIFL, WO DB 0,1 57
survivors relired by
SA-AAO 12767 30 Aug 49 ex G·AIFG
Dec 195B
The Lockheed Lodestar SA-AAE 12794 26 Sep 49 ex G-AIMD, mopped Jeddoh

The 1951 aircraft inventory of SOl showed a fleet offive Bristol 170s, ten Douglas DC-3s, and Lockheed 18 Lodestar Fleet
four Lockheed Lodestars. These last aircraft were purchased from Bell Aviation, South Africa,
SA-AAF 2411 ex ZS-DAX, sold to Slate Airlines, USA, May 52 (N 15A)
via W.S. Shackleton (U.K.) on 15 May 1950. They were placed in storage at Gatwick Airport

} {
(Aircrofl
SA-AAG 2562 ex ZS·DAU, sold 10 Slate Airlines, USA, 01 Jon 52 (NI6A)
in England. One is believed to have been delivered to SOl in August 1951, but it is unlikely to purchased
SA-AAH 2565 ex ZS-DAZ, sold 10 Americon Adt. Corp, USA, 1BDe' 51 (NI7A)
have been used on scheduled service. Interestingly, two of these aircraft still survive, in 15 May 50)
SA-AAI 2601 ex ZS-DBA, sold 10 Amer;con Adt. Corp, USA, 1952 (N1 BA)
museums in the U.S.A., SA-AAF (N ISA) in the Pima County Air Museum, Tucson, Arizona;
SA-AAH ( 43WT) in Florida.

17
 The Way It Was

This picture olpassengers disembarking from a DC-3 in the early The Lockheed Lodestar also displayed the cross swords design, but This pre-delivery picture of a Bristol 170 shows rhe 'single sword'
days shows the lirst insignia used by the airline. it never went into service. Saudi Arabian Airlines bought Douglas Narionalflag insignia on its tail (photo: Brirish Aerospace)
DC-4s instead. (photo: MAP)

The only aircraft that comprised Saudi Arabian Airlines first fleet during its formative years have been described on the preceding pages, 14-17. Until the advent
of the first four-engined DC-4s (pages 20-21), there were barely a dozen Douglas DC-3s (a few more were added later) and five Bristol 170s. Four Lockheed
Lodestars, listed on page 17 and illustrated above, were purchased, but never put into service. A single Westland WS-SS Whirlwind helicopter (HZ-ABE, msn
WA/173, ex-G-AORT) was registered. Ofthese, the DC-3 proved to be almost indestructible, was respected by pilots as a 'forgiving airplane,' and as depicted
on the opposite page, was seen in various paint schemes as it survived several generations, even into the jet age.

In rhe early days, much of the maintenance was done in rhe open air, and as rhis picrure of However, by rhe early 1950s, mainrenallce shops had been builr at Jeddah, alld Saudi Arabian
a Convair-Linei' shows, rhe available equipmenr was not up ro roday's srandards. Airlilles was able ro provide bellerfaciliries for irs staff.

18
'Old Faithful' Adolescence
(1945-1950)

The Prime of Life

(1950-1960)
SAUDI ARABIAN AIRLINES

111!!1 5AUDAIR
Change of Name
(1960-1965)

l!!!!!1 SAUDI ARABIAN AIRLINES

Still Going Strong

(1965-1970)

SAUDI ARABIAN AIRLINES

The Final Years

(1970-1975)

19
 Command Performance for an Arabian Monarch

His Majesty the late King Abdulaziz AI Saud arrives at the airport The royal seat is installed. Specially designed, it The Royal Flight Douglas DC-4 (SA-R-4) being rolled out. The procedure required
in his Daimler, custom-huilt for the King. could always he revolved so as to face Makkah at the in those days was more labor-intensive than the methods used with the modern
times for prayer. equipment available today.

Riyadh Airport ill 1952, viewed from ulider a DC-4. The architecture is in striking contrast wilh that of His Majesr)' the late King Ahdula:i: prepares to ascend before an audience of well-wishers.
roday's airport (see p.58-59).
(All phorographs on this page
hy courtesy of Ralph Lewis)
20
Douglas C-54/DC-4
44 SEATS. 215mph

Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp R·2000 (1,450 hpJ x 4.73,000 lb. max. gross take·off weight. range 2500 miles

Because it was unpressurized, and was soon overtaken by the faster Constellation, which was
pressurized, the importance of the Douglas DC-4 is often overlooked. After the end of the Second Comparison with Boeing 747
World War, almost all of the world's major airlines resumed service with the well-tried LENGTH 94ft • SPAN 118ft
Douglases, most of them converted from military C-S4s. It was not, however, a military design,
having been ordered by a group offive leading U.S. airlines as early as 26 January 1940. The onset
of the War obliged Douglas to convert the production schedule and make the first deliveries to
the military for logistics use.
Because of their long-range, the DC-4s opened direct services between the Eastern Province
(Dhahran) and Beirut.

Douglas DC·4 Fleet

Regn. MSN Del ivery Date Remarks
HZ-AAF 7474 Jul52 Ex-Transocean; written off 25 Sep 59, Jeddah

HZAAG 10337 Jun 52 Ex-Transocean; sold Feb 64 to British Eagle (G-ASPN)

Ex-Transocean; 10 RSAF (450) 1964; retired 1966 &laler reslored by Saudio as

HZ-AAH 10303 Jul52
RSAF 450, and preserved Jeddoh
HZ-AAI 10543 Jun 52 Ex-Transocean; sold Feb 64 to Brilish Eagle (G-ASPM)

HZ-AAW 27353 1954 Ex-Royal Flight SA-R-4; sold March 1964 to British Eagle (G-ASRS)

Note: All aircraft were ex-USAAf (-54 Skymasters. This SkymasteJ" shows two oj"the earlier insignia used by Saudi Arabian Airlines in the 1950511960s.

21
A Modern Twin
Modernizing the Fleet
By the mid-1950s, Saudi Arabian Airlines was operating a
fleet of more than twenty aircraft, but none of these could be o',Istanbul (1953-54) SAUDI ARABIAN AIRLINES
said to be of the modern generation. The DC-3 had first
flown in 1935, the DCA was of wartime vintage, having first TRUNKLINE ROUTES
served the United States Army Air Force, and the Bristol "",,
Freighter was an early post-war attempt by the British to 1956
reenter the commercial market, but with pre-war technology. ""
Not one of the Saudi airliners was pressurized, and this meant """
that none of them could protect the passengers from the
climate, and especially from record desert temperatures dur-
.
(1948) BeIrut. amoscus (1947)
(1952-53)Karachi _0
-
......... , ......
AmmaM~
...... .........
-... --
ing the summer months .
As yet, there were no international routes beyond the
Middle East region. Also, traffic was not yet sufficient to
(1947)Cairo , , ...
justify large aircraft over all the routes, either domestic or
Dhahra'M
overseas, so that the mainline types of the era, such as the
Lockheed Constellation or the Douglas DC-6 and DC-7
series would have been unsuitable. Thus, the choice was
made: the most popular twin-engine pressurized aircraft that
was widely in service and well proven for its reliability, the
Convair 340, a 40-seat twin.

Strengthening the System

Ten Convair-Liners were ordered from the Consolidated Port Sudan
factory late in 1952. The first two were delivered on 22 May,
and the first went into service on 23 June 1954. They were
used to upgrade the service standards on the international
routes (see map) and at the same time enabled the older
'h Hodoidah (1956)
REGD
aircraft to be transfelTed to domestic routes in a program of
route expansion (see map series on page 16). In April 1959, the This map shows the main-line Saudi Arabian Airlines network in the mid-1950s.lt shows that, although some routes beyond the immediate
air-mindedness within the Kingdom had developed to the extent border states had been attempted (with DC-4s), these had not been pursued. The basic pattern was a triangle linking the eastern Mediterra-
that the Convair twins opened a daily shuttle between Jeddah nean, the Arabian Gulf, and the Red Sea, with African branches to Cairo and to Asmara. Wider international horizons were to await the
and Riyadh, via Taif; and also started a new trans-Arabian route introduction to jet aircraji-see page 26.
via Madinah and Riyadh, between Jeddah and Dhahran. The
flying time between Jeddah and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia's two
biggest cities, was 2 hr 20 min, cutting about half an hour off the
DCA's unpressurized time, and about an hour off the DC-3's.

Development of a Modern Twin

After the end of the Second World War, air traffic boomed
everywhere, especially in the United States, where the air-
craft industry had become a major manufacturing industry
and the airlines were combining to drive the railroads almost
out of business. Manufacturers and airlines alike perceived Convair-Liner HZ-AAV, photographed at Brussels in 1965 during This Convair-Liner displays an earlier Saudi Arabian Airlines
that the air transport requirements could not be met by one overhanl with SABENA. (Jean-Marie Magendie Collection) lettering style and insignia. (photo: National Geographic Society)

22
Convair 340
44 SEATS. 280mph

Pratt & Whitney Double Wasp R·2800·(116 (2,400 hpJ x 2.47,000 lb. max. gross take·off weight. range 700 miles

general-purpose aircraft type, as in the 1930s when the Douglas DC-3 could offer most of what
the ai rl ines needed, short of trans-ocean or transcontinental range. Now, in the post-war era, Comparison with Boeing 747
there was a clear-cut case for two main airliner categories: the long-haul, for which a four- LENGTH 79ft • SPAN 105ft
engined design was necessary; and a short- to medium-haul, ideally a twin-engined airplane.

The Choice
First off the mark was the Martin company, whose flying boats had conquered the Pacific for
Pan American Airways. Its Model 202 went into service in August 1947, but it was
unpressurized and experienced some structural problems after going into service. The
improved Model 404, now pressurized, went into service with T.W.A. and Eastern Air Lines
in October 195 I.
By this time Consolidated-Vultee had obtained a big order for its Convair 240, from
American Airlines, which introduced it on I June 1948. The slightly larger version, the The Convair 340·681 Fleet
Convair 340, with a standard 44 seats instead of 40, gave United Air Lines a short-haul twin
on 16 November 1952. This was the aircraft that Saudi Arabian Airlines ordered, at just the Regn. MSN Del ivery Dale Service Entry Remarks
same time when United began service. The aircraft had a good pedigree, and it was to serve 22 May S4 WO 04 Feb 72, Sono'o (Yemen)
HZ-AAT 174 23 Jun 54
the Kingdom well for many years.
HZ-AAU IB2 22 May 54 05 Jul54 WO 07 Jon 72, Jeddoh
With this aircraft, incidentally, Saudi Arabian Airlines faced more challenges, both 20 Jun 54
HZ-AAV 190 04 Jul54 Retired 16 Jun 73, sold to USA Feb 77 (N926331
operational and technical. With few personnel with extensive airline experience in either 09 Mar 55 Relired 05 Aug 74, sold to USA Feb 77 (N99B7B)
HZ-AAY 21B 07 Jun 55
discipline, it enlisted the help of the U.S. airline, T.W.A. which, in turn, had a good record of 13 May 55
HZ-AAZ 219 WO 09 JuI5B, Ohohran
rendering management, technical, and operational support for the younger airlines in various 25 May 55
HZ-ABA 222 Sold to USA Ocl67 IN597MA)
parts of the world. This arrangement was mutually successful, and lasted for four decades.
HZ-ABB 227 19 May 55 28 May 55 Relired 12 Jun 73, scrapped Jeddoh
HZ-ABC 230 13 Jun 55 02 Jul55 Relired 2B Jun 74, sold 10 USA Feb 77 (N99B75)
HZ-ABO 239 03 Apr 55 15 Jun 55 Ex NB441 H, relired 16 Aug 72, scrapped Jeddoh
MSNs 174, 1B2, 190, &197 were originally ordered by Lufthansa as Model 340-6Bs bUI concelled and re-ossigned to Saudi Arabia as HZ-ABE 197 30 Jun 54 27 Sep 54 Ex-Royal Flight SA-R-5delivered 30 Jun 54, WFU 1BOcl 72, sold 10 USA
Model 340·6BBs. MSNs 21 B, 219, 222, 227, 230 & 239 were originally inlended lor Ihe USAF as C-131 Os IMode1340-79s) bUI re-ossigned Feb 77 IN99BB3) bUI subsequently reslored by Soudio and preserved 01
to Soudio as Model 340-6BBs. Jeddoh.

23
The Importance of Air Freight
AVital Need Douglas DC·6 Fleet
Just as Saudi Arabia was badly in need of an airline to carry
Regn. MSN Delivery Date Service Entry Remarks
people between the areas of population (see map, page 14),
it was equally in need of an airline to carry goods or freight- HZ-ADA 45497 27 Feb 64 03 Mar 64 ex-British Eagle Awys (G-APSAI;
anything from toothbrushes to heavy machinery. The first donated to Yemen Airways
paved road from Jeddah to Riyadh was not completed until 1971 (4W-ABQ) Currently
1967; and the only railway in the Kingdom-albeit a vital active with Instone as G-APSA
supply line to the capital-was from Dammam and Hofufto
Riyadh, completed in 1950. Transport by river boats-a HZ-ADB 28 Mar 64
common sight throughout the world-is non-existent in
Saudi Arabia. It is the largest country in the world without a
..... ~.
45457 30 Mar 64 ex-British Eagle Awys
(G-ARMYI; donated to
Yemen Airways 1971
major river; and certainly none are navigable. Not counting (4W-ABPI
the Hijaz Railway, which operated only from 1909 to 19 I7
(see page I I), Saudi Arabian Airlines was well established HZ-ADC 44167 1965 ex-Royal Flight SA-R-6;
before the country had a railroad. scrapped Jun 68, Jeddoh

The Pioneers Note: HZ-ADAIB were DC-6A Liftmosters and operated in both passenger and corgo
The first commercial aircraft in the Kingdom were versatile configurations. From 196B, HZ-ADA was operated as a passenger aircraft or comb;'
craft, adaptable for carrying both passengers and freight. The [his drawing shows how the special needs of air cargo shippers and -ADB as afreighter. Hl-ADC was aDC-6B.
trusty Douglas DC-3s (see page 15) were all ex-military ajfected the design a/commercial aircraft. Atfirst, access to the
C-47 Skytrains of the United States Army Air Force. They cabin was by an enlarged passenger door (DC-3/C-47, top), then
were all fitted with the large freight door in the left rear of the designers experimented with a nose-loading door (Bristol 170,
fuselage, and this permitted the loading and shipment of air center) which offered the full width and height of the fuselage
freight, up to a maximum load of about two and a half tons. cross-section for entry (the 170 was popular as a carferry); then,
Then came the Bristol 170 (page 17) which was also as the demandfor air cargo increased, euslom-designed doors and
designed for both passengers and freight-in fact far more slrengthenedjloors (DC-6, bottom) paved the wayfor lhefulure.
were built as Freighters than as the Wayfarer passenger
version. Saudi Arabian Airlines' version was the Mark 21 E,
which was what is now familiarly known as a 'combi,' that
is, a combination passenger/freight aircraft, in which the
seats could easily be removed. Also-and this was some-
thing of an innovation at the time-the nose of the fuselage DC-6A HZ-ADB, seen here at London's Healhrow Airport in 1964.
was fitted with 'clam-shell' doors, so that any item offreight (.lean-Marie Magendie Collection)
could be loaded, as long as it could pass through the cross-
section of the fuselage.
Later on, Saudia acquired the Douglas DC-4 (page 21),
a larger and longer-range type. Again, these were originally
military C-54 freighters, and, like the DC-6 successor, had a
large freight door in the left rear of the fuselage. This trio of
aircraft, the Douglas C-47/DC-3, the Bristol Freighter, and
the Douglas C-54/DC-4/DC-6, were able to supply the air
freighting needs of the Kingdom for the first twenty years of
the airline's life. This category of air traffic was to expand
considerably in subsequent years-see pages 48-49. Another picture of HZ-A DB, in a more rural setting at London's
Gatwick Airporl. (.lean-Marie Magendie ColleC/ion)

24
Douglas DC·6A
86 SEATS. 300mph
III 0 SAUDI ARABIAN AIRLINES
Pratt & Whitney R·2800 Double Wasp (817 (2,500 hp) x 4.107,000 lb. max. gross take·off weight. range 1,700 miles
Pressured Air Freight
While the sturdy old types did sterling work in the pioneering years, their usefulness was
handicapped by a feature that they all shared: the lack of a pressurized fuselage. Thus, for certain
consignments, this could be impractical, for example in carrying livestock. This shortcoming
was eliminated by the arrival, in March 1964, of the first of two Douglas DC-6As. These were
larger versions of the DC-4, with greater capacity and longer range. The freighter version of the
type had the A suffix. The passenger version, the DC-6B, epitomised all that was best of the
thoroughbred piston-engined airliners of the pre-jet era.
Technical Competition
The Douglas DC-4, in its military role, had entered service in 1942, and after the end of the
Second World War, served to establish the global operations of the world's flag-carrying
airlines. But when the Lockheed Constellation entered the scene, and went into service on
the trans-Atlantic route in 1946, Douglas was forced to improve its basic type. The
Comparison with Boeing 747
LENGTH 105ft • SPAN 117ft
Constellation was not only faster, by about 80 mph, than the Douglas, able to cruise at 300
mph, but it was elegant in appearance, and-even more important-was pressurized, thus
allowing much greater comfort for the passengers who could now fly 'above the weather'
and avoid the discomfort of frequent low-altitude turbulence, as well as the tiring long
journey times.
Matching the Need
The outcome of the Lockheed challenge was the production of the Douglas DC-6, which went
into service in the United States in 1947. This was further improved and in April 1951, was put
into service both as freighter, the DC-6A (by Slick Airways) and as a passenger airliner, the
DC-6B (by United Air Lines). While the rival Constellation had more graceful lines than the
parallel-fuselaged DC series, many operators preferred the Douglas, because it was marginally
more economical to operate (partly because of easier maintenance). The rugged construction
and more spacious fuselage of the Douglas product is underlined by the fact that many freighters
of the series are still earning their keep in the U.S.A. and Latin America, whereas the Constellations
have long been retired.
25
The First Jet Services
Until the 1960s, Saudi Arabian Airlines had flown only to
countries of the Middle East, in addition to its domestic
services within the Kingdom. Destinations were restricted to
points to the northwest, Beirut, Damascus, and Cairo, and to
Asmara, across The Red Sea in the then Eritrean province of
Ethiopia. Services to Istanbul and Karachi, started in the mid-
1950s, had not been sustained.
Boeing 707-320B
A change in corporate structure occurred on 19 February
1963, when, by Royal Decree by King Faisal, Saudi Arabian
Airlines became a commercial corporation, replacing the
arrangement by which the airline had operated almost as the
transport division of the Saudi Arabian Air Force.

The short/medium- haul Convair 340 twin-engined piston
aircraft were supplemented by Boeing nOB four-engined
jets, and steps were taken to expand the Saudi Arabian airline
.
In the late I 950s, when the Boeing 707 and the DC-8launched the
'Big Jet' Age, some airlines found these aircraji to be a little
'''Ii
large for their traffic levels. Boeing came up with the model 720, a ~

network beyond the limits of neighbouring states. shorterJuselaged version of the 707. The 720B had the more This early picture emphasizes the dramatic transitionj'rom the piston-
In 1967, Saudi Arabian Airlines inaugurated two impor- poweljill.lTJD turbofan engines. engined era, represented by the Douglas DC-3 in the background.
tant routes and joined lATA. Having become a member of the
Arab Air Carriers Organization (AACO) in 1965, it started
flying to Casablanca, Morocco, via Beirut, Tripoli, and Tunis
(Algiers was added in 1969). This was the first direct link
between the eastern half of the Arab world and the western
half, sometimes known as the Maghreb.
Possibly reacting to the needs of European commercial
enterprises engaged in large construction and development
contracts in the Kingdom, a route was also started to London,
via Geneva, the international diplomatic center in Switzer-
oIstanbul
(1953-54)
~~ 1965
~
land, and Frankfurt, rapidly emerging as the banking and ~
business 'capital' of West Germany. Algiers ~~
After the purchase of Boeing 707s in 1968 (see pages ~
Rabat/ (1969) 0--0
30-31), the London route was consolidated with a non-stop (1948) Beiru
Casablanc
service direct from Jeddah on 1 May of that year. (1967)
Karachi
0(1965)
......
Doha ......
(1958) .........
Port Jeddah ............
.THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL su~ Bomba~
ROUTES Khartoumif' (1965)
(1964) Asmara
(1953) REeD
Salldi Arabian Airlines' first Boeing 720B (HZ-ACA), went imo This map shows the expansion of the Salldi Arabian Airlines route network during the 1960s. The year of theflrst service of each rOllte
service on 15 March 1962, to Amman, Beirut, and Cairo. is indicated. Service 10 Karachi was temporarily sllspended. bllt resumed later.

26
Boeing 720B
117 SEATS. 620mph

l11li SAUDI ARABIAN AIRLINES

~
~

Pratt & Whitney JT3D-3B (12,500 Ib s.t.) x 4.234,000 lb. max. gross take-off weight. range 4,000 miles

As the best example of its design flexibility, Boeing produced the Model 720, with a fuselage 16
feet shorter and a significantly modified wing 15 feet shorter than the 707's. It served Boeing's Comparison with Boeing 747
purpose in being able to offer an airliner which was smaller than the 707/DC-8 standard and was
LENGTH 136ft. SPAN 131ft
suitable for medium-range routes of lower traffic density.
As the nOB, the variant was fitted with the Pratt & Whitney JT3D turbofan engines, and
because of its lighter weight, it had for a short time the longest range, exceeding 4,000 miles, of
any commercial airliner.

Boeing 720B Fleet

Regn. Model MSN Delivery Date Service Entrv Remarks

HZ-ACA -068B 18165 20 Dec 61 15 Mar 62 Sold 27 Oct 79} to Overseas IntI.

HZ-ACB -068B 18166 20 Dec 61 28 Mar 62 Sold 17 Sep 79 Distributors, USA

ET-AFK -024B 18417 10 Mar 75 Leased from Ethiopian Airlines until Feb 76

OD-AFR -023B 18018 76 Leased from MEA until 77

OD-AGF -047B 18830 76 Leased from MEA until 77

Note: Both of Soudia's ·06BBs were originally assigned as -060Bs by Boeing against an order from Ethiopian Airlines, I'Ihirh subsequently delayed its
The color scheme shown in this photo was used only ul'lti11964. (photo: The Boeing Company) deliveries by one year. HZ-ACB was leased to lebanese tnternational Ainvays, 1964,

27
Short-Haul Jet
With a fleet of twin-engined Convair 340s supplementing the
veteran DC-3s, Saudi Arabian Airlines steadily expanded its
developing domestic air network, from the main trans-Ara-
bian artery between Jeddah and Dhahran, via Riyadh, capital
of the Kingdom, which was being transformed from a sleepy
desert town into a busy modern metropolis.
Progress was slow, as until the late 1940s, there was
simply no airline infrastructure in Saudi Arabia. Indeed, there
was little organized transport of any kind, except camel
caravan routes across the desert. But a program of airfield
construction enabled the remote communitites in the northern
and southern regions suddenly to see airliners replacing cam-
els (see maps, pages 18 and 22).
By the late 1950s, Saudi Arabian Airlines' domestic
network was impressive. Almost every community of sub-
stance, even small ones with only a few hundred people, was
connected by air with the fast-growing centers of Jeddah,
Riyadh, Dhahran, and Madinah.
Then, on 8 February 1967, the first domestic jet airliner
was deli vered, a Douglas DC-9 twin-jet. A small fleet of three
was put to work immediately, not only on the trans-Arabian
trunk route, but also to the northern cities of Madinah, Tabuk
and Turaif, and to the southern cities ofTaif, Abha, and Gizan.
Although the DC-9s were replaced after a few years, in
the interests of equipment commonality, the Douglas twin
-rarabah
did its job well, making an important contribution to the n_l&\.,jt-( g; 5 /1 a
developing momentum of air traffic in the Kingdom as it
came to grips with the unprecedented demands made by a Abha
(Kharnls Mushait
burgeoning economy.
Nejran

DC- 9 routes - - -
Other routes
REGD
Saudi Arahian Airlines' DC-9-15 HZ-AEB pictured here at This map shaH'S how the first jet aircrati introduced hy Saudi Arahian Airlines all ils domestic routes connected the maill cities, while the
London's Heathrow Airport. (photo: Brian Stainer) COI1l'air 340s alld DC-3s sen'ed other points.

28
Douglas D(·'·15
72 SEATS. 560mph

SAUDI ARABIAN AIRLINES

Note: See Note, page 47.

Pratt & Whitney JT8D-7 (14,000 Ib s.t.) x 2.90,700 lb. max. gross take-off weight. range 700 miles

Douglas D(·9·15 Fleet Comparison wilh Boeing 747

LENGTH 104fl • SPAN 89fl
Regn. MSN Delivery Date Service Entry Remarks

HZ-AEA 47000 08 Feb 67 04 Mar 67 Sold 16 June 72 to LAV (Venezuela) (YV-C-ANP)

HZ-AEB 47001 27 Mar 67 29 Apr 67 Sold 03 Jul 72 to Ozark Airlines (N969Z)

HZ-AEC 47002 29 Apr 67 04 May 67 Sold 21 Jul 72 to LAV (YV-C-ANV)

The French Caravelle had, in 1955, pioneered the design idea of mounting engines on the rear
of the fuselage, thus improving the aerodynamics of the wing. One of the companies to recognize
this revolutionary change was Douglas in California which produced its 80-seat DC-9 as its first
twin jet. It made its first flight in 1965 and went into service with Delta Air Lines in November
of that year.
Subsequently, the DC-9's fuselage was lengthened in successive variants of the basic
DC-9-10 series (Saudia's -15 indicates the higher Maximum Gross Take Off Weight (MGTOW)
than that of earlier models (-I I, -12, -13, -14)) and later models, the -30, -40, -50, and further
stretched -80 series, served to generate airline sales of more than 2,000, making the Douglas twin
series one of the most successful of all time. Other manufacturers also followed the Caravelle's
basic design, notably the British Aircraft Corporation's BAC One-Eleven, the Fokker F.28, and
the Tupolev Tu-l34.
Saudia's decision to use the Boeing 737 (whose sales exceeded even those of the DC-9) was
based on the need for increased capacity and superior airfield performance-a critical factor at
many airports. Doug/as DC-9-/5 HZ-AEA, photographed at Le Bourget Airport ill Paris. (photo: Christiall lio/pati)

29
Into the Big Leagues
The Airline Gains Momentum
As mentioned on page 26, Saudi Arabian Airlines had ex-
panded its network into Western Europe in 1967, with the
Boeing nOB. In 1968, it purchased two Boeing 707-368Cs,
each fitted with 199 seats, and introduced this standard 'Big
Jet' into service on 15 January 1968, with a thrice-weekly
Jeddah-Rome non-stop service. Further expansion was con-
ducted under the direction of H.E. Sheikh Kamil Sindi, who
took over the direction of the airline in 1969, after serving for

lATA
six years as Director General of Civil Aviation.
The year 1973 was a watershed. For the first time, Saudia
carried more than one million passengers on scheduled ser-
vices, plus many more pilgrims and teachers on special
flights. A Boeing 707 taxies along the ramp at Jeddah, and displays the
graceful lines of the classic 'Big Jet.'
Standardization
The decision was made to standardize the fleet, taking advan-
tage of the design commonality of the Boeing series of jet
airliners. Thus, in 1971, five twin-engined short-haul jets
were ordered (see page 33). The 737-200s had exactly the
same fuselage cross-section as the Boeing nOBs and 707-
368Cs. After the first one was delivered on 14 March 1912,
the Douglas DC-9-15s were sold to other airlines.

Nostalgic Postscript
In 1912, the Saudi a Boeing fleet thus consisted of two nOBs,
two 707s, and five 737-200s. However, in an aviation reflec-
tion of the 'old soldiers never die' axiom, the original Douglas
DC-3, presented to King Abdulaziz in 1945, continued to
operate on the short Dhahran-Bahrain shuttle service, and not
until 1975, when the first Fairchild F-27 turboprops arrived,
did the veteran DC-3s gradually 'fade away.'

The DC-3-stillflying in the 1970s. (photo: Peter R. Keating) Boeing 707-368C HZ-ACG poses in fi'ont of King Khalid International Airport's architectural symmetry at the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh.

30
Boeing 707·300
143 SEATS. 600mph

-- II SAUDI ARABIAN AIRLINES

Pratt & Whitney JT3D-3 (18,000 Ib s.t.) x 4.332,000 lb. max. gross take-off weight. range 3,600 miles

Boeing 707 Fleet

Comparison with Boeing 747
Regn. Model MSN Delivery Dote Service Entry Remarks
LENGTH 153ft • SPAN 146ft
HZ-ACC -368C 19809 08 Jon 68 15 Jan 68 sold to Boeing 26 Jun 87 for ports (N 1486B)
HZ-ACD -368C 19810 19 Jon 68 01 Feb 68 sold to Boeing 26 Jun 87 for parts (N 1673B)
HZ-ACE -373C 18582 08 Aug 73 27 Aug 73 exWorid Awys N373WA;WO 1979, Jeddah
HZ-ACF -373C 18583 17 Aug 73 30 Aug 73 ex-World Awys N374WA (FRTR); sold to Air
Transport Soles 15 Jul 78
HZ-ACG -368C 21103 14 Oct 75 05 Nov 75 sold to Boeing 13 Jul 87 (N 1987B)
HZ-ACH -368C 21104 18 Dec 75 24 Dec 75 donated to Sudan govt. 01 Nov 83 (ST-DRS)
HZ-ACI -368C 21261 23 Dec 76 18 Jon 77 sold to Boeing Jul87 (N7486B)
The Jet Era
HZ-ACJ -368C 21367 04 Apr 77 20 Apr 77 sold to Boeing Jul 87 (N7667B)
Although the British Comet flew in regular service for two years from 1952 to 1954, and the Soviet
HZ-ACK -368C 21368 27 Jun 77 21 Jul 77 Govt. and VIP Jul 79 (HZ-HM3) Tupolev Tu-l 04 began domestic routes in Russia in 1956, the Jet Age really began on 26 October
HZ-HM2 -368C 21081 25 Sep 75 30 Sep 75 Govt. and VIP, ex HZ-HM1 1958, when Pan American Airways launched its Boeing 707 trans-Atlantic service and within two
ET-ACD -360C Jun 75 leased from Ethiopian Airlines until Jun 76
years had encircled the globe with a network of jet air routes. The Comet was rejuvenated and
19736
served well, and Douglas produced the fine DC-8 series, but of all the big jets, it was the Boeing
ET-ACQ -379C 19820 Sep 74 leased from Ethiopian until 31 May 76
product that epitomized the new Jet Age.
N8413 -323C 19576 Apr 81 leased from ONA until Aug 82 All the world's great airlines hastened to Seattle to order the Boeing 707, as soon as the full
OD-AFB -384C 20224 17 Feb 76 leased from MEA until 01 Feb 77 (FRTR) consequences of Pan Am's original order, placed in 1955, were understood. At that time, Saudi
OD-AFD -384C 01 Jun 76 leased from MEA until 25 May 77 (FRTR)
Arabian Airlines was still a comparatively small airline by international standards. Its route
20259
network was neither extensive norofhigh traffic volume-thus the earlier adoption of the Boeing
OD-AFE -384C 20260 01 Jun 76 leased from MEA until May 77; and Jul 80;
and again Sep 80-Nov 80
720B-but by the 1970s, the stature of the airline had grown to the extent that regular deliveries
were made of the archetypal Boeing jet, as shown in the accompanying table.
Note: HZ-ACE is used for maintenance training at the old Jeddah Airport.

31
Expanding Horizons *'
~~
More Aircraft
Having reached the one million annual passengers mark in
1973, Saudia, now resplendent with a handsome new logo,
began to expand its fleet. Its Boeingjet fleet at the beginning
of 1974 comprised the two Model nOBs which had been in
service since 1962, four 707-300s (with two more on order),
and five 737-200s (with two more on order). The jet fleet was A Boeing 737 (HZ-AGL) comes in to land at Jeddah.
supported by six Convair 340 twins and five Douglas DC-3
'Old Faithfuls', while two Piper Apaches were used for the
pilot training program.

More Traffic
With the establishment of a comprehensive network of air
services throughout the Kingdom, and the economic develop-
ment of the country as a whole, the people of Saudi Arabia
were rapidly becoming air-minded and began taking Saudia
flights with increasing frequency, for both business and plea-
sure. The traffic on the main artery, Jeddah~Riyadh, had
totalled 100,000 in 1966; by 1975 it was 250,000 and on a
steep upward curve. Passenger movements at both Jeddah and
Riyadh were close to the million mark by the mid-1970s, and
provincial airports such as Abha and Gizan were handling
100,000 travellers by 1975.
saudia
On 1 April 1972, Saudi Arabian Airlines adopted a new livery and
corporate identity, becoming known as Saudia, with the new
insignia that is familiar today.
This map shows Saudia's international network in 1977. This
consolidation of the basic route structure established only ten
years previously (see map, page 26) was remarkable. The thirteen
points served then had been increased to thirty; the two interna-
tional gateways had been increased to four; and all the main "l.'>..
destinations were served non-stop. By the 1970s, Saudi businessmen were flying everywhere.

More Routes
With the domestic route network almost complete (see page 28)
the international routes were also augmented. On 18 June 1974,
a direct Jeddah-Paris service was added. The Gulf cities of
Kuwait, Bahrain, Doha, and Dubai were already on the map, and
by 1977, Saudia had consolidated its route structure.

oT"hran
mascuS
Baghdad
"loit
'f-v Shiraz

CONSOLIDATION
OF THE
Saudia leased a Tunis Air Boeing 727-2H3 for one year from INTERNATIONAL NETWORK
March 1978 to March 1979. This picture ofTS-JHN (MSN 20545)
REGD
was taken at Munich. (photo: Jean-Marie Magendie Collection)

32
Boeing 737·200
102 SEATS. 530mph

II scudic SAUDI ARABIAN AIRLINES

Pratt & Whitney JT8D-15 (15,500 Ib s.t.) x 2.117,000 lb. max. gross take-off weight. range 2,300 miles
Boeing 737 Fleet
Regn. Model MSN Del ivery Date Service Entry Comparison with Boeing 747
HZ-AGA -268C 20574 14 Mar 72 12 Apr 72 LENGTH 100ft· SPAN 93ft
HZ-AGB -268C 20575 07 Apr 72 17 Apr 72
HZ-AGC -268 20576 05 May 72 08 May 72
HZ-AGD -268 20577 19 M;y 72 23 May 72
HZ-AGE -268 20578 26 May 72 01 Jun 72
HZ-AGF -268 20882 31 May 74 06 Jun 74
HZ-AGG -268 20883 26 Jul74 01 Aug 74
HZ-AGH -268 21275 30 Jul 76 08 Aug 76
HZ-AGI -268 21276 20 Aug 76 25 Aug 76
Boeing's Best Seller
HZ-AGJ -268 21277 26 Aug 76 02 Sep 76
HZ-AGK -268
Although making a slow start, compared with that of its rival twin jet, the Douglas DC-9, sales
21280 01 Nov 76 08 Nov 76
of the 737 twin jet development of the Boeing 727 eventually reached record levels. By 1994, total
HZ-AGl -268 21281 01 Oct 76 06 Oct 76
737 orders had reached 2,680.
HZ-AGM -268 21282 04 Nov 76 17 Nov 76
HZ-AGN -268 21283 01 Dec 76 08 Dec 76
Standard Domestic Jet
HZ-AGO -268 21360 18 Mar 77 25 Mar 77
Saudia's first Boeing 737-200 was delivered on 14 March 1972 and began scheduled service on
HZ-AGP -268 21361 29 Apr 77 04 May 77
12 April. Regular deliveries of the initial order permitted the replacement of the older Convair
HZ-AGQ -268 21362 08 Mar 78 16 Mar 78 340s, DC-9-1 Ss and (except for a shuttle service from Dhahran to Bahrain) the veteran DC-3s. By
HZ-AGR -268 21653 14 Sep 78 08 Oct 78 the late 1970s, Saudia had a neet of twenty Boeing twin jets, and they became a familiar sight
HZ-AGS -268 21654 26 Sep 78 04 Oct 78 throughout the Kingdom, from Turaif in the far north to Sharurah in the far south, and from
HZ-AGT -268 22050 14 Dec 79 17 Dec 79 Dhahran on the Arabian Gulf to the port cities of Yanbu and Gizan on the Red Sea. Whi Ie in later
years the Lockheed TriStaI' and the Airbus A300 were to supplement the smaller twin jet, the
Nole: HZ·AGT wos lronsferred 10 Governmenl ond VIP flights 11 Dec 19 os HZ-HM4.
Boeing 737 may be said to have established Saudia as the Kingdom's aerial bus service.

33
A Gathering of the Nations
Some ofthe biggest concentrations ofMuslim peoples are located
a long way from Makkah. In the past, this has made the annual
pilgrimage both difficult and dangerous, and only a small propor-
tion of the faithful were able to achieve their life's ambition. For
Muslims in Indonesia, India, or Africa, camel caravans (see p. 10)
or long sea joumeys were essential. These were time-consuming
and, for most people, prohibitively expensive, often undertaken at
great risk and requiIing much stamina.
In the 1930s, with the construction of roads, many trans-
ferred to cars and buses. Then, the remarkable changes in
Saudi Arabia immediately after the end of the Second World
War (see page 14), completely revolutionized the Hajj trans-
port system.
By the 1960s, scheduled and charter aircraft from the entire
Muslim world were converging on Jeddah for the Hajj every year.
And the number of pilgrims grew steadily until by the 1990s the
total had swelled to more than two million. This unprecedented
migration is one of the largest gatherings of people assembled
together in one place-and it happens every year.
The Hajj represents an amazing feat of logistics, for quite
apart from the problems of feeding and accommodation, an
estimated million pilgrims fly into and out of King Abdulaziz
International Airport (KAlA) at Jeddah during a period of
little more than a few weeks. This approaches total annual
traffic levels between leading world city pairs such as Lon-
don-Paris or New York-Washington.
To accommodate such an unprecedented demand, one
that would create unacceptable congestion at any air terminal,
the new Jeddah KAlA includes a huge Hajj terminal dedicated
to the pilgrims' special needs (see pages 56-57).
The Hajj: The Muslim's Spiritual Culmination
The Hajj-the pilgrimage to Makkah-is one of the five
pillars ofIslam and the emotive goal and climactic experience
of a devout Muslim's temporal existence. It is essentially a
series of rituals pelformed in and around Makkah between the
eighth and the thirteenth of Dhul Hijjah, the twelfth month of
the Muslim lunar calendar.
The Hajj was first enjoined upon Abraham, 'the Father of
the Prophets,' by God (The Qur'an, 22:26-29). He is the same
Old Testament Abraham familiar to Judaism and Christianity.
The Hajj was continued, also by divine command, by
Muhammad. Abraham, a zealous advocate of monotheism
and a relentlesss foe of idolatry, built the Ka'bah, 'the House
34
of God,' the physical axis of the Muslim world's worship of
the One God. Abraham, his spouse Hagar, and their son
Ishmael are central to some of the holy rites of the pilgrimage.
The Ka'bah, a stone structure about 50 feet high, is
roughly cubical in shape and is in the center of the vast
courtyard of the Holy Mosque in Makkah. It is the focal point
toward which Muslims everywhere pray five times a day. In
the southeastern corner of the Ka'bah 's exterior wall is embed-
ded the oval-shaped seven-inch-diameter Black Stone, set in
a silver frame. Just as the Ka'bah is not an object of worship, (Above) The Ka'bah in the center of the Holy Mosque at Makkah.
but rather of reverence, so too, is the Black Stone. It is (Below) The towering minarets of the mosque at Madinah, where
generally revered as the only remnant of Abraham's original the prophet Muhammad died.
building. Today, pilgrims kiss or touch it mainly in remem-
brance of their beloved prophet Muhammad, whose lips
touched the Black Stone on his Farewell Pilgrimage.
The Hajj rites-which are precisely those followed or
approved by Muhammad during his pilgrimage-are few in
number, simple in execution, but rich in meaning.
The first rite is donning the ihram, a white two-piece
seamless garment reminiscent of the robes worn by Abraham
and Muhammad during the pilgrimage. For women it is
customarily a simple white gown and a headcovering without
a veil. The ihram is a physical manifestation of the pilgrims'
entering a state of consecration and a symbol of the social
equality of all believers and of their search for purity and
renunciation of mundane pleasures.
The circumambulation (tawaf) of the Ka'bah signifies
that the Muslim's life must focus on the Oneness of God. The
ritual 'running' (sa'y) between the hillocks of as-Safa and al-
Marwah in Makkah re-enacts Hagar's frantic search for water
REGD
An enormous network of highways. tunnels. oveJpasses. and pedestrian roads has heen built to help the movement ofpilgrims hetween the
Holy Mosque in MaHah and the Mina-Amfat area.
The Haii

This breathtaking night-time view of the scene at the Holy Mosque in Makkah during the annual pilgrimage emphasizes the
magnitude of this unique gathering of people from all over the world. In this picture are upwards of a million pilgrims,
an assembly made possible only by an unprecedented feat of logistics and organization.

35
A Gathering of the Nations (continued)
for her infant Ishmael in that arid place and of her discovery of the well of Zamzam, which
quenches pilgrims' thirst even today. It also commemorates the anguished love of motherhood
and the important nurturing and civilizing role played by women in history. THE AIR ROUTES TO MAKKAH
'The standi.ng' (wuquf) at 'Arafat on the ninth day of Dhul Hijjah is the central rite of the
Hajj. The hours spent on this holy plain are devoted to profound self-examination of the ends and
means of a Muslim's earthly existence, to sincere supplication, to genuine repentance for one's
sins, and to moving prayers for the dead and living. A Muslim's devotional life reaches its
culmination here. CHINA
The lapidation ceremony-throwing pebbles at three stone pillars in Mina (ramy al-
jamarat)-is another commemoration of Abraham's practices. These pebbles are traditionally
gathered at al-Muzdalifah. By stoning the spots where Satan appeared to Abraham, the pilgrims
symbolically reject evil and disobedience to God.
To commemorate Abraham's readiness to sacrifice his beloved son, the pilgrims celebrate
'Id al-Adha (the Festival of Sacrifice) on the tenth of Dhul Hijjah at Mina by sacrificing an
....
PHILIPPINES

animal, usually a sheep, cow, or camel, and sharing it with others. Muslims aU over the world
join the pilgrims with joy and gratitude to God in celebrating this festival and in sacrificing. This
worldwide ritual symbolizes the Muslims' preparedness to part with what is dearest to them to
attain God's pleasure. This act encapsulates the spirit ofIslam: submission to the will of God-
which is the literal meaning of Islam.
There is, further, a 'lesser pilgrimage' called the 'umrah, also performed by the Prophet of
Islam. It can be undertaken in Makkah at any time and consists of only three rituals, the ihram,
tawaf and sa'y. But this is not a substitute for the Hajj, which is one of the five pillars and a once-
in-a-lifetime obligation.
R.EGD
Air travel has shrunk journey times and offers vastly better convenience and comfort, compared !O long
seajourneysfrom Asia, or long overland treksfi"om Afi"ica. Muslimsfrom allover the world can now
join the annual pilgrimage to Makkah. They arrive at the King Abdulaziz International Airport at
.Taldah, and are welcomed at the special Hajj terminal (see page 38). They are then taken by bus to
Makkah. The entire procedure requires massive organization.

These pictures provide a glimpse ofthe enormous concentration ofpeople, ottemporClly accommodation,
and CJttransport that are required to enahle all pilgrims to lx/form their sacred duties during the Hajj. The
picture on the lefi shows theal-.Tamarat area in Mina,jammedwith perhaps haifa million people; the center
picture is otonly a part otthe huge tent city necessary to house the pilgrims; and on the right is an intricate
web otstreets and bridges amilahle to facilitate traffic.

36
The Muslim World
EUROPE
17million CENTRAL ASIA
NORTH AMERICA
2· 6 million BOSNIA:t7 50 million

Montene9ro~~~
ALBANIA~,• •ill~~
~

~~~~ ~~~SH

LATIN AMERiCA
1·3 million
SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
t55 million Each. represents 5,000,000 Muslims
P.EGD

The Muslim population of the world now exceeds one billion. About half of them live in south and east Asia, and a quarter in Africa. There are significant Muslim
communities in more than 75 countries, the largest of which are Indonesia (180 million), Pakistan (115 million), Bangladesh (100 million), and perhaps
surprisingly-India (95 million). Through emigration, there are now significant Muslim settlements in western Europe, especially in England, France, and
Germany; in some of the major cities of the United States; and in the Guianas of South America. The map above illustrates the distribution of the Muslim
peoples throughout the world. Saudi Arabia, with its responsibility to maintain the Holy Cities of Makkah and Madinah, and to provide proper
facilities for the annual pilgrimage, now on a vast scale, lies at the geographical center of the Muslim world.

37
Airlift Extraordinary
Time-Honored Tradition
During centuries past, Muslim pilgrims have made the pil-
grimage to Makkah-a religious duty for all those who are
physically and financially able to do so-by foot, by donkey,
by horse, by camel, and by boat. During the early part of this
century, the great camel caravans were supplemented briefly
by a railway from Damascus to Madinah (see page 11), but
the replacement of hoofs by wheels, i.e. road transport within
Arabia, did not occur until the late 1930s (see page 14).
Access to the Holy City of Makkah was relatively easy for
one of the most populated Muslim nations, Egypt, only a few
days' journey by boat across the Red Sea; but for others, in
countries as far apart as Morocco and Indonesia, the way to the
Ka'bah was long and hard. For the privileged few who could
achieve their life's ambition, the trip could take several
months to accomplish.
The First Hajj Air Flights
The first recorded instance of Hajjis coming to Makkah by
air was in 1937, when the Egyptian airline, Misr Airwork,
carried some pilgrims to Jeddah and to Madinah, using de
Havilland biplanes. Immediately after the end of the Second
World War, some enterprising air charter companies made
special arrangements with groups of wealthy pilgrims. In
1949, the U.S. Air Force is reported to have carried several
thousands from Beirut to Jeddah. Even before it began
scheduled operations, Saudi Arabian Airlines made some
Hajj flights in 1946, the first on 28 October of that year to
collect pilgrims from Lydda (Palestine).
Hajj Traffic Expands
The advantages of air travel were soon perceived by aspirant
Hajjis. Not only were the total costs of the journey seen to be
comparable with those using overland methods; but the great
advantage of speed, enabling working Muslims to have to
spend fewer days away from their work and livelihood, was
quickly realized. Consequently, the word got around, and
independent charter airlines began to organize Hajj flight
programs. Early participants were Eagle Aviation in the
U.K., working with Crescent Air Transport in Pakistan and
with the Nigerian Pilgrim Society during the early 1950s.
French independent airlines and Air France also brought
pilgrims from what were then French colonies in north and
38
west Africa, and U.A.T. brought them from as far south as
Bangui, in the former French colony of Ubangi-Shari (now
the Central African Republic) which was then part of French
Equatorial Africa.
In 1961, the first jet aircraft, a Caravelle of Air Liban,joined
the annual Hajj air fleets, and the subsequent decade witnessed
a phenomenal expansion of the business, with large U.K. and
U.S. carriers and supplemental airlines deploying especially the
big Douglas DC-8-63s. Then in 1973, Overseas National Air-
lines (ONA),a U.S. supplemental airline, introduced McDonnell
Douglas DC-l 0 wide-bodied aircraft, and World Airways intro-
duced Boeing 747s in the following year. Both the aircraft
capacity and the flight frequencies have continued to increase in
this, the greatest single mass movement of people in the world.
Transformation of a Culture
The significance of air travel on the Muslim world has not
always been fully appreciated. The airliners did not simply
replace the ships of the sea and the ships of the desert. They
did far more, augmenting the movement of pilgrims by
unprecedented and completely unforeseen dimensions. In
The lofty canopies of the Hajj terminal at King Abdulaziz
spite of the complications ofreconciling the Hijrah calendar
International Ai/port at Jeddah are well illustrated in these
with the Gregorian calendar, with its annual variation of ten
pictures.
to eleven days from the previous year's dates, the economics
of the air operation have enabled the airlines to offer fares
that have permitted Muslims the world over to make the
pilgrimage that, in times past, would not have been possible
for a large majority of them.
A Boeing 747SP pulls into the huge Hajj terminal at King
Abdulazi: International Airport at Jeddah.
---
The Pilgrimage People

How they came to Makkah

As described in earlier pages of this book, Muslims who
achieve their life's ambition by making the pilgrimage to
Makkah have always shown infinite resourcefulness, mak-
ing the often arduous journey by any means of transport
available to them.

By Land By Sea By Air

39
The Wide-Bodied Era Begins
Enter the Trijets
After Boeing had announced plans for the wide-bodied 747 in
1966, other companies also joined in the quest for a market share
of the new generation of high-capacity airliners. Ln Europe, the
twin-engined Airbus A300 aimed at the shOlt-haul market,
while in the United States, both Douglas and Lockheed launched
tri-jet designs so as to encompass the medium-haul (including
U.S. transcontinental) ranges as well as the short-haul.
Lockheed's L-IOII TriStarwas equipped with 50,000 Ib
S.t. Rolls-Royce RB211 engines, and could carry up to 280
passengers in all-economy layout. It first flew on 16 Novem-
ber 1970 and entered airline service in the United States on
26 April 1972.
The TriStar Quickens the Pace for Saudia
The expanding horizons in the early 1970s, referred to on
page 32, generated more traffic, more routes, and a require-
ment for more aircraft. Such was the percei ved potential that on
29 March 1974, Saudia purchased wide-bodied equipment,
choosing the tri-motored Lockheed L·10ll TriStar 100. A
contract for two aircraft was signed by Prince Sultan Bin
Abdulaziz, Chairman of Saudia, on 6 May of that year; and
they went into service on the Riyadh-Jeddah trunk route on
15 August 1975. Such was the impact of the TriStar that,
with improved service throughout the Saudia network, and
incentives from the Kingdom's economic development pro-
The Lockheed L-l0l 1 TriStar was the flagship of Saudia ,s mainline domestic fleet during the 1970s. This Series 200 aircraj; is seen at leddah.
40
gram the 1976 traffic total was reported to exceed that of
1975 by no less than 60 percent, an almost unprecedented
figure anywhere in the world.
The Arabian Express
On 10 June 1975, the Govemment had decreed that domestic
fares should be reduced by25 percent, and this was an additional
stimulant to growth. Nowhere was this more effective than on
the Riyadh-Jeddah trunk route. Both cities were growing at an
incredible rate, with ambitious construction projects on a grand
scale of visionary city planning. Business traffic boomed, and
on I June 1976 Saudia introduced the no-reservation Arabian
Express Shuttle Service, using TriStars for most of the hourly The.f!ight deck of the Lockheed TriStar,
frequencies. Passenger boardings in 1976 were running at
64,000 per month, with load factors exceeding 80 percent.
The headlong growth continued. Such was the pace that
more L-I 011 s were acquired, and two Boeing 747s were
leased from Middle East Airlines on 1 June 1977. Record
numbers on the Arabian Express reached an incredible 5,000
per day during some periods. The trans-Arabian air link had
joined the exalted ranks of the world's busiest air routes.
Launch Customer
Saudia, now in the full stride of an expansion program, was
the first customer for the Lockheed TriStar 100 and 200
variants.
The spacious passenger cabin of the Lockheed TriStar.
A fleet of new ai/port buses was acquired to march the large
increase oicapacity in the TriStar.f!eet.
Lockheed L·1 0 11 TriStar 200
214 SEATS. 590mph

TriStar

III scudic

RolIs·Royce RI211·5241·02 (50,000 Ib s.t.) X 3.466,000 lb. max. gross take·off weight. range 3,500 miles

Lockheed L·l 011 TriStar Fleet

Comparison with Boeing 747
Regn. Model MSN Del ivery Date Service Entry Remarks LENGTH 178ft· SPAN 155ft
HZ-AHA 100 1935-1110 25 Jun 75 15Aug75 ex N64854, to TriStor 200 Oct 77
HZ-AHB 100 1935-1116 12 Jul 75 15Aug75 converted to TriStor 200 Dec 77
HZ-AHC 100 1935-1137 27 May 76 31 May 76 converted to TriStar 200 Jan 78
HZ-AHD 200 1935-1144 26 May 77 09 Jun 77 ex N48354
HZ-AHE 100 193B-1124 24 Feb 76 21 May 76 ex N31 032, to TriStar 200 Apr 78
HZ-AHF 100 193B-1130 23 Feb 76 03 Jun 76 ex N31 011, to TriStor 200 May 78
HZ-AHG 200 1935-1148 30 Sep 77 10 Oct 77
HZ-AHH 200 1935-1149 18 Dec 77 31 Dec 77
HZ-AHI 200 1935-1160 01 Jan 79 06 Jan 79
HZ-AHJ 200 1935-1161 30 Mar 79 02 Apr 79
HZ-AHK 200 1935-1169 22 Aug 79 28 Aug 79 WO 19 Aug 80, Riyadh
HZ-AHL 200 1935-1170 25 Sep 79 28 Sep 79
HZ-AHM 200 1935-1171 06 Oct 79 09 Oct 79
HZ-AHN 200 1935-1175 19 Oct 80 24 Oct 80
HZ-AHa 200 1935-1187 03 Sept 80 06 Sep 80
HZ-AHP 200 1935-1190 21 Sep 80 26 Sep 80
HZ-AHO 200 1935-1192 02 Feb 81 03 Feb 81
HZ-AHR 200 1935-1214 19 Aug 81 23 Aug 81
HZ-HM5 500 293A-1250 21 Nov 89 21 Nov 89 ex N5129K, Govt. and VIP
HZ-HM6 500 293A-1249 24 Nov 93 24 Nov 93 ex VR-eZZ, Govt. and VIP

Note: HZ-AHE/AHF were purchased from T. W.A. as TriStar /5 and converted to TriStar 1005.
A TriStaI' takes oflsrnartlv!i'ol7/ Dhahran. (photo. Peter Sanders)

41
Replacing the DC·3
The First Choice EMBRAER Fleet
When the Second World War ended, many aircraft manufac- I~ Delivery
turers tried to design a modern aircraft that would emulate the Regn. ~I Date Remarks
versatility of the Douglas DC-3, which had made its first flight EMB-IIO Bandeirante
in December 1935. None of them succeeded completely, but Saudia'sfirst turboprop aircraji, a Fairchild F-27.T, which
some came close. The most successful was the Dutch Fokker G-BGCR 110P1 110165 Jun 79 ex-PT-GLF } leased from replaced the Douglas DC-3 early in 1975.
company, which produced the F.27 Friendship, a high- G-BGCS 110P1 110207 05 May 79 ex PT-GLZ Ashbon Assac.
winged airliner, powered by two Rolls-Royce Dart turboprop until 22 Feb 81
engines. It went into airline service in 1958, and remained in G-CELT 110P2 110161 Mar 78 LF Air Wales until Aug 73
steady production for 27 years. Almost 800 were built in the EMB-121 Xingu
Netherlands and by Fairchild in the U.S. When the time came
to supplement its DC-3 fleet, Saudia chose this successful LF EMBRAER until 01 Nov 80
feeder airliner, described on the page opposite.
Short SC7 Skyvan Fleet
They Also Served
During the period of rapid expansion from the mid-1970s to Regn. MSN Delivery Date
the early 1980s, Saudia was also called upon to provide air (All Series 3,
HZ-ZAL SH1956 15 Dec 77

}
service for various government, executive, and private re- Variant 100
HZ-ZAP SH1957 26 Aug 78
quirements. It leased a variety of small aircraft, including the During the late 1970slearly 1980s, Saudia operatedfour Short
HZ-ZAS SH1969 15 Dec 79 operated for
EMBRAER EMB-110 Bandeirante, the EMB-121 Xingu, SC7 Skyvans on behalf of the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral
HZ-ZAT SH1970 07 Mar 80 MPMRj
the Short Skyvan, and the Nord 262. These aircraft were Resources.
sometimes used on regular air routes; and they carried Saudia
colors and were operated by the airline. They are individually
listed on this and the opposite pages.

The Fellowship
Fokker's jet successor to the F.27 Friendship was the F.28
Fellowship, a 60-seat rear-engined design, powered by Rolls-
Royce RB 183, Mk 555-15 (Spey) engines, and looking like a
smaller Douglas DC-9. Saudia operated two of these aircraft
from 1980 to 1986; one is pictured below, and an F.28 is seen
in the panoramic view on the right.

=~~jjiiiiiii~:..;:
;;;
-;::
"
G This panoramic view of the old Riyadh airport, photographed under rare leaden skies in the early 1980s, illustrates the diversity of Saudia's
jleet,from the trunklinejlagships to thefeederliners. On the main ramp,fi"om leji to right, are a Boeing 737, a Boeing 747, two Lockheed
TriStars, an A300-600, a Boeing 707, three 737s, and a Fokker F.28.

42
Fairchild F·27J
48 SEATS. 290mph

Rolls-Royce Dart R Da7 Mk 532-7 (1,990 shp) x 2.42,000 lb. max. gross take-off weight. range 800 miles

Fairchild F·27 Fleet

Comparison with Boeing 747
Regn. Model MSN Delivery Date Remarks LENGTH 77ft • SPAN 95ft
N746L F-27J 37 01 Mar 75 LF Hughes Air West until 21 Apr 77, again
01 Jan 78 until Nov 80
N747L F-27J 38 15 Apr 77 LF HAW; WO 02 Mar 78, Jeddah
N749L F-27J 63 01 Mar 75 LF HAW until Sep 80
N751L F-27J 77 11 Mar 75 LF HAW until Nov 80

Fokker F.28 Fellowship Fleet

Regn. Model MSN Delivery Date Remarks The F·27
OY·BRM 3000 11143 01 Jul80 LF Cimber Air until 16 Dec 86 While Saudia had to cope with a huge increase in traffic on its main line domestic routes, it also
OY·BRN 3000 11151 01 Jul 80 LF Cimber Air until 16 Dec 86 had to ensure that the entire fleet was kept in balance and efficient. While the veteran Douglas
DC-3s were reliable enough, they required much maintenance, and, compared with the new big
Note: A third aircraft Imsn 77763) was assigned to Cimber Air for lease to Saudia in 7987, but was never jets flying between Jeddah, Riyadh, and Dhahran, and the Boeing 737s flying on the main regional
delivered to the Danish company. routes to Abha, Tabuk, Hail, and other provincial destinations, they were outdated. Additionally,
however, the 737s were too large for the routes serving small communities that did not generate
much traffic, and a solution had to be found to modernize the feeder services.
Nord 262A The well-tried Fokker twin-turboprop high-wing 48-seat Friendship design was selected; but
anticipating the upsurge in traffic at all levels, Saudia did not purchase a large fJeet. It leased
Regn. Model MSN Delivery Dote Remarks aircraft from a U.S. regional operator, taking delivery of the first three in March 1975. These were
OY·BDD A21 21 03 Dec 74 LF Cimber Air until 30 Apr 75 variants of the basic Fokker design, and built, under license, by Fairchild. They served Saudia for
five years. The F-27s replaced the remaining DC-3s from April 1975.

43
Trans-Atlantic Route
The First Boeing 747s
Even the Lockheed TriStars were unable to match the level
of passenger demand towards the closing years of the 1970s.
Accordingly, arrangements were made to lease two Boeing NORTH
747-200Bs from Middle East Airlines while negotiations
were initiated with Boeing. The first Saudia Boeing 747 AMERICA
service was on 1 June 1977, in a 377-seat layout. The
international network began to expand with a direct route to 2 July 1981
Tehran, and then in 1978, Athens and Stockholm aug-
mented the list of European destinations on 2 June and 1
New York
November, respectively. Washington
Trans-Atlantic Service Orlando 17 June 1988
With increasing business ties to the United States, the time 4 July 1994 AFRICA
was approaching when a national Saudi service was desir-
able to bring travellers between New York and the prosper- Jeddah
ing cities of Saudi Arabia. The first move was made on I
February 1979, when a joint service was started between
ACROSS THE ATLANTIC REGD
Saudia and Pan American Airways, New York-Dhahran
non-stop with a Pan Am 747SP. The dates of service inauguration to U.S. cities are shown on this map.
Then, on 2 July 1981-a great day in Saudi a history-the
first service of its own was inaugurated, on a non-stop route (Top leti) Saudia' s first Boeing 747-168B (HZ-AlA) taxies into
from Jeddah to New York, using a Boeing 747SP, the long- icddah International Airport; (bottom I~ti) special articulated
range version. The route was (and still is, with the non-stop steps emphasize the size of the 747; (below) HZ-AlA, parked on
Riyadh-New York link) the only one in the world that the ramp, shows oif (he lines of the 747, sUiprisingly gracejitl for
involves four continents, overflying parts of Africa and such a large aircraji.
Europe en route between Asia and North America.

Record Traffic Growth

Saudia now began to expand its international network. When
the New York service opened, it had already opened a route
to east Asia, to Bangkok, via Dhaka; and to Africa, to Nairobi
and Mogadishu. On 2 April, Morocco was linked with a non-
stop Jeddah-Casablanca service. In 1982, Singapore and
Manila extended the scope of east Asian destinations, and
Islamabad became the second point to be served in Pakistan.
In April 1983, the long-range 747SPs opened up a non-stop
from Jeddah to Seoul, South Korea.
In addition to the initially leased aircraft, Saudi a pur-
chased eight Boeing 747-168Bs, placing the first one into
service on 12 April 1981. By 1983, Saudia was carrying more
than II million passengers per year, having grown by an
astonishing eleven-fold increase in a single decade; and
becoming the largest airline in the Middle East.

44
T Boeing 747·168B
377 SEATS. 600mph

~·-··:"···~C··
~ ;;;;;I ud-IC ~pgnmJl ~-reJ1 't!~16~1 HZ-AlB

Rolls-Royce RB211-524(2-19 (51,500 Ib s.t.) x 4.750,000 lb. max. gross take-off weight. range 5,000 miles
Saudia's Initial Boeing 747·200 Fleet (Leased)
Regn. Model MSN Del ivery Date Remarks LENGTH 232ft • SPAN 196ft (1688)
LENGTH 185ft· SPAN 196ft (SP)
OD-AGH -2B4B (SeD) 21097 01 Jun 77 LF MEA until May 81
OD-AGI -2B4B (SCD) 21098 01 Jun 77 LF MEA until Jun 81
OD-AGJ -2B4B (SCD) 21099 11 Sep 78 LF MEA until 30 Nov 80, again Feb 81
until May 81
HL7447 -230B 20493 22 Jun 79 LF Korean May 81 until 30 Nov 79, again
01 Nov 80 until 30 Nov 80

Note: (SeD) = side cargo door. These aircraft were Pratt & Whitney-powered

Saudia's Boeing 747· 1OO/SP Fleet (owned)

Regn. Model MSN Delivery Date Service Entry Remarks

HZ-AlA -168B 22498 24 Apr 81 01 May 81 ex N8281V

HZ-AlB -168B 22499 02 Apr 81 12Apr81
HZ-Ale -168B 22500 20 May 81 24 May 81
HZ-AID -168B 22501 21 May 81 01 Jun 81
HZ-AlE -168B 22502 31 Jul 81 04 Aug 81 ex N8284V
HZ-AIG -168B 22747 19 Jan 82
HZ-AIH -168B 22748 17 Mar 82
HZ-All -168B 22749 02 Apr 82
HZ-AIF SP-68 22503 23 Jun 81 02 Jul 81 Opened Ii rst service to New York
HZ-AU SP-68 22750 25 May 82 to Gov!. and VIP 1992
HZ-HM1 B SP-68 21652 11 Jul79 ex HZ-HM 1, hospital
HZ-AIU -268B 24359 14 Jan 89 27 Jan 89
This Boeing 747SP (HZ-Alp) opened !he firs! service!o New York all 2 Jllly 1981.

45
 Supplementing the Front line
Back to Douglas
Saudia had followed a policy of standardizing on the
Boeing series of commercial aircraft, but from time to time
other aircraft were leased to meet unexpected demand for
extra capacity. The first example of this procedure was in
February 1969, when a Douglas DC-S-53 was taken on a
short-term lease from Air Afrique. Some years later, Saudia
went back to 'the old firm' which had supplied its very first
aircraft in 1945.

Special Needs
In particular, during the great traffic boom of the late 1970s/
early 1980s, when there was what can only be described as
Six DC-8-55s were leasedji"om Overseas National Airlines (ONA) in 1980. N910R was photographed at Paris in 1983.
an explosion of demand for air transport in the Kingdom,
both for domestic and international travel, a fleet of the
Douglas jets was leased from Overseas National Airlines, a
U.S. supplemental carrier. Most of the ten passenger ver-
sions were Model-55s, but one was an early Model-33, and
three were the 'stretched' Model-GIs, 36 feet longer than the
earlier DC-8 versions, and able to carry up to 269 passengers
in all-economy seating.
In 1987, Saudia also obtained one of the final variants of
the Douglas line. A re-engined DC-S-n was purchased for
use by the government (but operated by Saudia) for VIPs and
as a mobile hospital. Further, as shown on page 49, a call was
made on various lessors for freighter versions of
the versatile Douglas jet. At different times, no less than 25
DC-8s, of seven different versions, have been leased to The DC-8-33 was one of an earlier non-turbofan series. This one (N8016) was also leased from O.NAfor eight months from July 1979.
supplement Saudia's expanding fleet.

The Douglas DC·8 Family

Engine Dimensions (ft) Gross Wt Max.
Series Type Thrust Length Span (tons) Seats

-10 JT3C 13,000 123

-20 JT4A 16,800 127
-30 JT4A 17,500 151 142 138 189 sDudin
-40 Conway 17,500 140
-50 JT3D 18,000 145

-61 JT3D 18,000 187 142 145 269

-62 JT3D 19,000 157 148 156 214 The DC-8-61 was one of the stretched versions of the type, 36 feet longer than the earlier models. This example (N912R) was leased from
-63 JT3D 19,000 187 148 158 269 ON.A.for three years ji"om November 1979. It is seen here at Stockholm. (all photos on this page courtesy Jean-Marie Magendie collection)

46
Douglas DC·8·55
163 SEATS. 590mph

N907R

Note: The Douglos Aircraft Compony wos purchosed in 1967 by the McDonnell
Aircralt Corporation. Douglos commerciol jets were subsequently renomed os
McDonnell Douglos oircraft.

Pratt & Whitney JT3D·3B (18,000 Ib s.t.) x 4.325,000 lb. max. gross take·off weight. range 4,800 miles

DC·8 Passenger Fleet (Leased)

Comparison with Boeing 747
Remarks LENGTH 151ft • SPAN 142ft

Short-term lease

N722UA 45767 03 Jun 80 ONA 18 Sep 80

N907R 45764 80 ONA 80
N910R 45854 02 Jun 80 ONA 30 Apr 85
N915R 45916 Jun 80 ONA 30 Apr 85
N9110V 45817 09 Jun 80 ONA 24 Jun 80 DC-8F-55
N916R 45753 16 Sep 80 ONA 08 Nov 80
OC-8-61
N912R 45908 Nov 79 ONA Feb 82 ex N912CL; again Jun 82-Dct 82
N913R 46128 28 May 80 ONA 15 Jon 81 Written off at Luxembourg
N917R 46099 Jun 81 ONA May 82

DC·8·72
Regn. MSN Del ivery Dote Remarks

Purchased from Bright Star Enterprises, ex N2547R (converted DC-

HZ-HM11 46084 28 May 87
8-62) used for Gov!. and VIP/hospital

47
Heavy Freighters
Keeping up the Pace Lockheed (·130 Hercules Fleet
The tremendous momentum of traffic demand during the late
1970s and early 1980s was evident not only in the growth of Delivery
Regn. Model MSN Dote Remorks
passenger traffic but also in the growth of air freight; for
Saudi Arabia's headlong economic development generated HZ-MS6 382G 60C·4952 Oct 84 ex N4254M, hospital
the need for commodity imports of all kinds, many catego- HZ-MS7 382C 26E-4922 Dec 84 ex N4190M, hospital
ries of which had to be carried by air, either because of HZ-MS08 382T 55E-4986 Dec 84 ex N4243M, hospitol
urgency or convenience, or simply because air transport was HZ-MS09 382G 61C-4956 Dec 85 ex N4255M, hospitol
cheaper. Thus even the excellent Douglas DC-8-63F-one HZ-MS14 382G 61 C-4960 Mor86 ex N4266M, hospitol
of the best aircraft of its era-gave way to the Boeing 747- HZ-MS19 382C 93D-4837 Sep 81 ex N4098M, hospital
200 freighter simply because the latter's IOO-ton load was far HZ-MS21 382C 32E-4918 Jul83 ex N4240M, hospital
superior to the Douglas's 52 tons. Also, as the picture on this HZ-114 382C 4E-4843 Jul80 ex HZ-HM5, Royal Flight
page shows, the nose-loading procedure allowed greater HZ-115 382C 4E-4845 Jul80 ex HZ-HM6, Royal Flight
flexibility and quicker ground-handling. HZ-116 382C 26D-4915 Sep 82 ex N4185M, VIP
HZ-117 382G 63C-4954 Aug 83 VIP/Sheikh Ibrahim
Special Needs HZ-128 382G 60C-4950 Sep 84 ex HZ-MS5, hospital
382G 61C-4957 Dec 85 ex HZ-MS 10, hospital A Saudia C-130 photographed at Milan. (photo: Daria Cocco,
The DC-8-63Fs and the Boeing 747 freighters could carry HZ-129
382G 23C-4391 Mar 78 IF TIA until Oct 79 Jean-Marie Magendie Collection)
heavy loads over long distances; but they needed large and N15ST
well-equipped airports, with runways of high bearing strength
such as Jeddah, Riyadh, or Dhahran. Elsewhere, throughout
the Kingdom, heavy loads could be carried into the smaller
airports and fields only with aircraft specially built for lower Boeing 141 Freighters
bearing strengths, even for unprepared landing strips. Such
an aircraft is the versatile Lockheed C-130, of which almost Delivery
2,000 have been built for extensive use all over the world. In Regn. Model MSN Dote Remarks
Saudi Arabia, they are used as mobile hospital ships, bring- N701SW -245F 20826 78 IF Seaboard World
ing the advantages of modern medical treatment to commu- N702SW -245F 20827 78 IF Seaboard World
nities in remote areas and also in support ofthe armed forces. Hl7452 2B5F (SCD) 22481 27 Feb 81 IF Korean until May 81;
Though registered with and maintained by the Air Force, again Feb 83-Feb 84
they carry Saudia livery and are operated under the airline. Hl7459 2B5F (SCD) 22486 09 May 81 IF Korean until 28 Feb 84
N747WR -273C 20651 84 IF National
F-GPAN 2B3F (SCD) 21515 01 Mar 84 LF UTA/National Ais
until Nov 84
TU-TAP -2S4F 22169 01 Mar 84 LF National Ais until
Mar 85
N743TV -271C 22403 14Apr 85 IF Transamerica until
Mar 86
HL7471 ·273C 20652 08 May 85 IF National/Koreon until
27 May 86
HL7451 2B5F (SCD) 22480 27 May 86 LF Korean until Jan 89
HZ-AIU -268F 24359 13 Jan 89 ex N6018N (owned)
N471EV -273C 20651 May 93 LF Evergreen
Afar Cl"yfromthe Bristol Freighter of the 1940.1'1/950.1' (see page 17)
N485EV -212B (F) 20712 Mayn LF Evergreen
This night-time picture ofa Boeing 747F taking on cargo emphasi:es but the principle is the same. The nose-loading method alloll'sfor
N482EV -212B (F) 20713 93 LF Evergreen
both the si:e of the large cargo door Wid the ground equipment. larger consignmell/s and a more e{ficiell/ loading procedure.

48
Douglas DC·8·63F
Load 116,OOOlb. 580mph

Note: See Note page 47.

Pratt & Whitney JT3D·7 (19,000Ib s.t.) x 4.354,000 lb. max. gross take·off weight. range 5,000 miles

DC·8·63F Freighter Fleet (All Leased)

Comparison with Boeing 747
Regn. MSN Delivery Date Leased From Termination Date Remarks LENGTH 187ft • SPAN 148ft
N8632 45966 01 Mar 77 sWAIm 30 Apr 81 Re-reg. N773FT 28 Nov 80
N8636 46051 09 Mar 77 SWA 27 Dec 79
N8639 46049 01 Jun 77 SWA/Flugleidir 07 Dec 79
N864F 46087 30 Nov 79 sWAIm 10Apr81 Re-reg. N774FT 28 Nov 80

N865F 46088 14 May 79 sWAIm 30 Apr 81 again LF FTL/ONA Jun 81-Jun 83

N866F 46112 21 Dec 79 Icelandair 22 Feb 80
N4864T 46059 Jun 81 ONA 19 Nov 81
TF-FLC 46049 01 Mar 81 Flugleidi r/ ONA 01 May 85 ex N778FT: again 25 Jul86-Jun
87 (LF Icelandairl
TF-FLE 46101 01 Mar 81 Flugleidir/ONA 26 Mar 84
TF-FLF 46062 22 Aug 81 Flugleidir 22 Oct 81
EI-BNA 45989 18 Sep 89 Aer Turas 89 leased again 16 Sep 90
EI-CGO 45924 01 May 89 Aer Turas 18 Sep 89

DC·8·61 F Freighter Aircraft (Leased)

Regn. MSN Delivery Date Leased From Termination Date Remarks
N810EV 45902 19 Feb 81 Evergreen/ONA 13 Feb 82 /

This 6C-8-63CF (TF-FLCJ was leased from the Icelandic airline. Flugleidir,for/h'e years./i'om 1981.
(pholO: .lean-Marie Magendie col!eeti(!Il)

49
The Charter Business
Growth of Airmindedness Special Flight Services (Charter) Division
Even before Saudi Arabian Airlines became an independent
corporation in 1963, there was a requirement for aircraft Remarks
(other than commercial airliners) for executive or private use Cessna 180C Skywagon
by the growing number of Saudi businessmen and administra- HZ-ABF WFU 1968
tors whose special needs could not be met by normal airline HZ-ABG 180-50774 04 Jul 60 28 Aug 60 ex N9274T, WFU 1971
services. The earliest types acquired for such use were single- HZ-ABH 180-50777 ex N9277T, WFU 1968
engined Cessna 180s, Champion Travelers, (see table on this
Champion 7EC Traveler and 7ECA Citabria
page) and twin-engined Piper Apaches. Then in the mid-
1970s, more twin-engined executive aircraft were added, at
first propeller-driven types, but these were soon followed by
HZ-ABJ
HZ-ABL
745
759
07 Feb 61
01 Nov61
25 Feb 61
01 Feb 62
WFU
WFU 1972
J9"} scrapped
executive jets. Saudia had Iwo Piper Apaches, usedfor training and executive HZ-ABM 772 20 Aug 64 27 Sep 64 WFU 1972 Jeddah
use from 1965 onwards. HZ-ABN 773 01 Sep 64 21 Oct 64 WFU 1972
Special Flight Services HZ-ABI 102 14 Jul 66 120ct66 7ECA WFU 1973
Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) was invariably called upon to HZ-ABK 107 14 Jul 66 12Sep66 7ECA WFU 1973
supply both the aircraft and the services for a large percentage Piper PA-23 Apache 235
of the private and executive flying in the Kingdom. The HZ-AFA 27-613 31 Mar 65 21 Apr 65 ex N4323Y, WFU
requests increased in number and complexity to the extent that 1979, sold 1983
in 1976 the airline was obliged to establish a Special Flight HZ-AFB 27-614 06 Apr 65 21 Apr 65 ex N4324Y, WFU 1979
Services (S.F.S.) Division. Its initial fleet consisted of two sold 1983
Grumman Gulfstream II rear-engined jets; and these and later Beech Al 00 King Air
developments of the basic type became the nucleus of an
HZ-AFC B-214 14 Feb 75 08 Mar 75 } also used for
important branch of Saudia's operations.
HZ-AFE B-221 27 Jan 75 13 Jul 75 advanced training
The twin-engined Beech King Air came into executive service in N100SJ B-124 Leased in 1984
1975.
WO 1980

'-- 1 ex N778XX, sold Nov 90 1

See continuation on opposite page
The Grumman Gulfslream II was Ihefirsl model used to establish
the Special Flighl Services (SFSj Division in 1976. This aircraf/
has been converted with tip tanks.

Two rear-engined jel execulive aircraf/: a Cessna Cila/ion II in Ihe Saudia used one Canadair Challenger, aplly regisleredfor the
The Gulfslream III was an improved version of Ihe Gulfstream II. foreground, and a Grumman Gulfstream II with lip lanks. Special Flight Services,ji'om 1986 until 1990.

50
Grumman Gulfstream IV
14-19 SEATS. 560mph

II s[ludi[l ,!!:J~I ~~I ,!!~16~1

••• Note: In January 1973, Grumman began aseries af corporate reorganizations

involving the American Aviation Corporation. The Gulfstream IV was produced
by the Gulfstream Aerospace Corparation.

Rolls-Royce Tay Mk 611-8 (13,850 Ib s.t.) x 2.73,200 lb. max. gross take-off weight. range 4,100 miles

Special Flight Services (Charter) Division

Delivery Date Remarks Comparison with Boeing 747
LENGTH 88ft • SPAN 78ft
Mar 84
Mar 84

ex F-WWFJ!HZ -R4A

Grumman G-1159 Gulfstream II (from MSN 201 with tip tanks)

HZ-AFG 175 04 Aug 76 05 Aug 76 ex N17586, sold to Mauritania
HZ-AFH 171 21 May 76 24 Moy 76 ex N17585
HZ-AFI 201 Dec 77 exN17585
The Grumman Gulfstream Series
HZ-AFJ 203 Dec 77 Jan 78 ex N17587
HZ-AFK 239 Jan 80 exN17582
Gulfstream Engines (2) Dimensions (ft) Cruise
Gulfstream Amencan G-1159A Gulfstream III
Model Type Thrust (Ib) Length Span MGTOW(lb) Speed (mph) Range (st. miles)
HZ-AFL 311 Apr 81 ex N17585, ST USA Feb 91 (N311GA)
HZ-AFM 324 Oct 81 ex N17587
I (G-159) R-R Dart 2,210' 64 78 36,000 330 1,800
HZ-AFN 364 Apr 83 ex N176lD
HZ-AFO 365 May 83 ex N176lJ, sold to Morocco Jon 89 II (G-1159) R-R Spey 11,400 80 69 65,500 580 3,200
HZ-AFR 410 Apr 84 ex N350GA
III (G-1159A) R-R Spey 11,400 83 78 69,700 576 3,500
HZ-AFS 450 Aug 87 ex N329GA, sold to USA, 1990
Gullstream American G- 1159C Gulfstream IV IV (G-1159C) R-R Tay 13,850 88 78 73,200 564 4,100
HZ-AFU 1031 Jun 90 ex N434GA
• equivalent shaft horsepower (turboprop)
HZ-AFV 1035 May 89 ex N435GA
HZ-AFW 1038 90 ex N438GA
HZ-AFX 1143 Mar91 ex N410GA Saudia has a fleet ofsix Beech A36 Bonanzas and eight Piper PA-28-181 Archer lis for basic flight
HZ-MFL 1128 Feb 91 ex N429GA training, which reverted to the Kingdom in 1985 after being transferred to the USA in 1970.

51
 Launch Customer
The European Airbus
The idea of developing a wide-bodied twin-engined airliner
began in Europe during the mid-1960s. Project engineers in
France, at Breguet-Nord and at Sud Aviation, and in England
at Hawker Siddeley, were studying designs for a large
airliner for short-haul routes. In due course, they joined
forces, and by 1966, market studies were well under way.
The outcome was the construction of the A300 which made
its first flight on 28 October 1972. The first service was by
Air France in May 1974, butsales were initially slow because
of powerful competition in the United States from Douglas
and Lockheed, whose respective DC-1O and L-I 0 II tri-jets
captured most of the early market for an aircraft that was
larger than the Boeing 707 or DC-8 but smaller than the 360-
seat Boeing 747 'Jumbo Jet'.
The European consortium that had emerged, with French
and Gennan majority leadership, with the U.K. as an important
sub-contractor to build the wing, slowly regained the initiative.
Airbus also diversified, bringing out models with longer range
(the A300B4), smaller size (the A31O)' and even a much smaller
aircraft with a single-aisle fuselage (the A320).
The A300·600
The Airbus team was persuaded by Saudia to construct an
advanced version of the A300B4, with a longer cabin, and
that was both larger and had more range, with the largest
maximum gross take-off weight of any twin-engined air-
craft. It featured improved aerodynamics and performance,
digital avionics, automatic FCS, plus significant cargo ca-
pacity. Saudia needed a big airliner that could cope with the
enormous demands of the trans-Arabian domestic route from
Riyadh to Jeddah, but could also be used on regional routes
as far away as Khartoum and Nairobi.
Saudia had leased two Airbus A300B4s in 1980 to help
ease the congestion primarily for Jeddah-Riyadh-Dhahran,
and interestingly, they were also used on the route to Abha,
such was the wide-spread diversity of domestic traffic growth
within the Kingdom. An order was placed with Airbus, and
the first A300·620 went into service on 14 May 1984.
Launch Customer
Saudi a had come a long way since its first start, almost four
decades previously, when it began with a gift of a humble
DC-3. Not until the mid-1950s was it able to buy its first new
52
aircraft, the Convair 340s. But with the tremendous upsurge
of activity in the late 1970s, Saudia's status changed. It
became the largest airline in the Middle East and an airline POPULATION OF CITIES
AND COMMUNITIES
of considerable influence. And thus in 1984, as in 1975 with o 50,000 - 100, 000
the Lockheed TriStar 100 and 200 series (see pages 40--41) • 100,000-500,000
it achieved the rare privilege of being the launch customer for • 500,000- 1.000,000
• More than 1,000,000
a new airliner variant, the first to order the A300-600 series. Juba
Demographic Pressures
AIQtft .-
Dhahra
MubarrAz '
AI Khobar }-
By the time the A300 was delivered-and the whole fleet of RIYADH .0AI"Ha . .
Kharj
eleven aircraft was accepted during a period of only six
months-the Kingdom was in the throes of a metamorphosis
in travelling habits. This was because the rapid economic
growth was dispersed throughout the land; and one of the
inevitable trends accompanying such prosperity was a trend
towards urbanization.
Not only were the major cities such as Riyadh, Jeddah, and
the Dammam/Dhahran/AI Khobar conurbation approaching
and even passing the million population mark; other smaller AN URBANIZED KINGDOM
provincial cities and communities were now becoming metro-
politan areas of substance. The map on this page illustrates a REGD
demographic picture that is in astonishing contrast with thatof
the same area only a half a century ago, when Riyadh was little In modern Salldi Arabia, deserl oases have become towns; small
more than a country town of about 40,000 people, and Jeddah provincial commllliities are now regiollal centers; Riyadh and
a sleepy seaport with even fewer inhabitants. Saudi Arabia, in Ieddah are now large cities. The oil industry of the Arabian Gulf
fact, is a country of urban dwellers, in striking contrast with has created a conurbation 011 Ihe east coast ofSalldi Arabia.
the situation barely forty years ago.
An Airblls A300-620 (HZ-AID) poses for the camera at .Ieddah.
Airbus A300B4·620
258 SEATS. 555mph

Pratt & Whitney JT9D·7R4Hl (56,000 Ib s.t.) x 2.363,765 lb. max. gross take·off weight. range 4,000 miles

Airbus A300 Fleet

Comparison with Boeing 747
MSN Delivery Date Remarks LENGTH 177ft • SPAN 147ft

10 Aug 80 Leased from Korean Air Lines until 09 Nov 81

01 Nov 80 Leased from Korean Air Lines until Au 81

HZ-AJA 284 01 Jun 84 ex F-WZLS

HZ-AJB 294 09 Apr 84 ex F-WZYA
HZ-AJC 301 25 Mar 84 ex F-WZYB
HZ-AJD 307 03 Apr 84 ex F-WZYC
HZ-AJE 312 20 Apr 84 ex F-WZYD (Nate: pre-delivery
HZ-AJF 317 28 Apr 84 ex F-WZYE test registrations)
HZ-AJG 321 14 May 84 ex F-WZYF
HZ-AJH 336 04 Jul 84 ex F-WZYI
HZ-AJI 341 28 Jun 84 ex F-WZYJ
HZ-AJJ 348 27 Aug 84 ex F-WZYL
HZ-AJK 351 08 Oct 84 ex F-WZYB

The aircraft pictured on this page (HZ-AJC) opened the world's first
Airbus A300-600 series scheduled service on 14 May 84.

53
 World-Wide Stature
Modernizing the Fleet SAUDIA ALL-CARGO
Having introduced the Lockheed L-I 0 I I in 1975 (page 40-
41), the Boeing 747-1 00 series in 1981 (pages 44-45), and the ROUTES
Airbus A300-600 in 1984 (pages 52-53), Saudia took the next New York
step in August 1984 by ordering a fleet of Boeing 747-300s.
This was the version often referred to as the -S UD or' Stretched
Upper Deck,' an exact description. The difference between
this and the previous versions is illustrated in the drawing on
this page. The Saudia aircraft had Rolls-Royce engines, and
accommodated 424 passengers, compared to 377 in the -100, angkok (technical
in the airline's configuration. Interiors of the earlier aircraft stop)
were completely refurbished, and flight attendants wore new
REGD Colombo
uniforms designed by Carven, a leading Parisian couturier. (Lefl) An ingenious modification o/the 747'sjilselage offered a
While alcoholic beverages were not served (following Islamic more attractive variant of Boeing's popular 'Jumbo Jet.'
custom), catering standards were maintained at a high level.
Meal service was unsurpassed, and for all outbound flights
Growth of Cargo Traffic
was supplied by the Saudi a Catering Service, set up in 1981
and soon to be the winner of many international awards. Reference has already been made to the introduction of heavy
freighter aircraft (pages 48-49). Such was the growth of this
important category of air traffic that in September 1986,
Modernizing the Airports
Saudia established a cargo hub system in Europe. This was
In parallel with modernizing the fleet, plans were made in the based at Brussels to coordinate air freight in northwestern
late 1970s to bring the main airports up to top-level interna- Europe, and at Milan to cover southern Europe. The Milan
tional standards. The results exceeded all expectations. The hub has since been discontinued, but in 1988 an even more
King Abdulaziz International Airport, opened at Jeddah on important hub was established at Taipei to centralize the
31 May 1981, is among the largest in the world; and the King movement of airfreight throughout east Asia. Saudia 's exten-
Khaled International Airport, opened at Riyadh on 5 De- sive all-cargo air network is shown on the map on this page.
cember 1983, can lay claim to being the most beautiful in the
world. These airports are more fully described on pages 56 to
59. The King Fahd International Airport at Dhahran, now London
under construction, will make a magnificent trio. EUROPE Pari
New York Genev"'r'L....~"
Saudization
During the formative years of the 1950s and I960s, Saudi
Arabia was undergoing a transformation from a rural and
agrarian culture into a modern industrial state. The changeover
from village to urban lifestyle and from local to national UNITED STATES
transport requirements created an almost revolutionary pro-
cess. Training of aircraft specialists could not keep pace with Dakar
the heavy demands, and for many years Saudi Arabian Air-
lines was assisted by foreign technicans and speciaiists. Gradu-
ally, however, the extensive training programs bore fruit and SAUDIA WORLDWIDE
by the mid-1980s, 'Saudization' was in full swing. For Nairobi
example, more than half of the flight crews were Saudi EAST AFRICA
REGD
nationals-a far cry from the immediate post-World War Il
period when only a handful of Saudis were able to fly at all. This map shows the extensive route expansion. See also the all-cargo route map above.

54
Boeing 747·368
424 SEATS. 605mph

Rolls·Royce RB211·524D4 (53,000 Ib s.I.) x 4.833,000 lb. max. gross lake·off weighl. range 7,000 miles

Boeing 747·368 Fleel

LENGTH 232ft • SPAN 196ft
Regn. MSN Delivery Date Remarks

HZ-AIK 23262 12 Jul85 ex N6005C, first Saudia Boeing 747-368 service

HZ-AIL 23263 02 Aug 85 ex N6009F
HZ-AIM 23264 21 Aug 85 ex N6046P
HZ-AIN 23265 20 Dec 85 ex N6046P
Nate: the N registrations were used
HZ-Ala 23266 24 Oct 85 ex N6005C
for pre-delivery flights and were
HZ-AlP 23267 17 Jan 86 ex N6055X sometimes duplicated
HZ-AIQ 23268 14 Mar 86 ex N6005C
HZ-AIR 23269 24 Jul 86 ex N6038E
HZ-AIS 23270 20 Aug 86 ex N6046P
HZ-AIT 23271 10 Nov 86 ex N6038N
HZ-HM1A 23070 22 Dec 83 ex N 1784B, Royal Flight

I er BoelRg 747 s (L eased)

Oh
Regn. MSN Delivery Date Remarks

TF-ABK 20116 Apr 93 Type -257B, from Air Atlanta Iceland, until 18 Feb 94
N502SR 20208 May 93 Type -1 D1, from American Inti until Dec 93
N704CK 20528 Apr 94 Type -146, from American IntI.
TF-ABL 20117 Apr 93 Type -257B, from Air Atlanta Iceland, until Nov 93
TF-ABO 20208 Mar 94 Type -1 D1, from Air Atlanta Iceland {ex N502SRj
TF-ABR 20014 May 93 Type -133 from Air Atlanta Iceland
TF-ABS 20305 Mar 94 Type -1 D1, from Air Atlanta Iceland
N703CK 19727 Apr 94 Type -146, from American International

55
The Kingdom's Busiest Airport, at Jeddah
Bride of the Red Sea than forty from all over the world. The South Terminal is for
Earlier in this' book, the astonishing growth of the cities of Saudia, both for its international and domestic flights. These
Saudi Arabia has been noted. Jeddah, once a relatively small two terminals are connected by a shuttle bus service, and
port in the Red Sea, working only at full capacity during the aircraft are serviced by a fine fleet of mobile lounges. The
few weeks of the Hajj, blossomed into one of the great Arabesque roof line of the buildings has attracted much
entrepots of trade in the Middle East. Its population grew praise and, not surprisingly, has won many architectural
from about40,000 in the immediate post- World War II era to awards in Europe, Asia, and the United States. The third
about 2,000,000 today. Parallel with the population growth, terminal is for the annual Hajj, and is of record dimensions,
air traffic increased, demanding ever higher standards of as described in the page opposite. It can accommodate
airport installations. 80,000 pi Igrims at anyone time, and can cope with the arrival
The first airport control tower in Saudi Arabia was opened during peak periods of 5,000 every hour, or 30,000 per day.
at Jeddah's old airport in 1953. The first approach radar was More than 800,000 pilgrims arrive by air every year, and the
installed in 1975. And in 1982, the first fully integrated Area number is growing. Saudia alone, ranked now among the top
The Boeing 747SP emphasizes the grand scale ojthe Hajj
Control Center in the Kingdom was inaugurated. 25 airlines in the world, accounts for close to 1,000 aircraft
Terminal at.leddah's King Abdulaziz International Ailport
movements every week.
A New Beginning
Maintenance
The old airport was too close to the city, which, from a small
walled area of less than a square kilometre, had expanded to Possibly the proudest claim by the Saudia engineering shops
such an extent that rows of high-rise buildings overlooked is that they are approved by the United States Federal
the parking areas and runways of the airport. The decision Aviation Administration (F.A.A.) for full-scale airframe,
was made to take the bold step of building not only a new engine, avionics, and electronics overhaul and maintenance
airport, but one that would be big enough to cope with big for all major jet aircraft. It is the only one in the Middle East
traffic increases in the future. A start was made in 1974, and to be so authorized.
under the direction ofInternational Airports Projects (LA.P.)
the King Abdulaziz International Airport opened for busi-
ness on 31 May 1981.
The airport area is 105 sq. km (40 sq. miles). Each of its
three runways is more than 3,650 metres (12,500 ft) long, For ojFramp passenger loading and ojFloading, .Ieddah has a
able to accommodate the biggest commercial aircraft for fleet ojmodem mobile lounges.
take-off and landing, even at extreme high temperatures. The
0 0
al'erage daytime temperature is 33 Celsius (91 Fahrenheit),
0 0
and it can go up to 40 C (104 F). Thefacilities are among the
most modem in the world, with city transport service, banks,
post office, shops, infollllation centres, restaurants, together
with a nursery to supply landscaping needs, an infirmary/
medical clinic, and a special prayer area as well as a mosque for
the mainly Muslim clientele. Supporting these airpol1 services
is adesalinization plant that ensures potable water, aircondition-
ing, and fire services. Four separate load centers guarantee the
electric power supply.

The Terminals
There are three completely separate terminals. The North The 'prodllctioll line' at Saudia Catering. where thousands or Salldia's Catering Dil'ision at.leddah is a model ojeffieiene)', with
Terminal serves all foreign airlines, now numbering more complete meals. to satisjy all palates. are produced el'er)' day. IInslilpassed standards oj hvgiene.

56
King Abdulaziz International Airport

.-~
~-~
~-1
~,.
.... "'-,
•I ~- 7
,
) )

~I
,
) •4 ~
.,. 4aL~
~.

The special Hajj terminal has 210 tent-like roofullits, made ofglass-fiber fabric, cOI'ering 510,000 sq. metres (more than five million sq.ft),
and supported by 180,000 tons of concrete structure and 32 miles of steel cables. Some idea of the si:e call be judged by recoglli:illg that the
six air bridges at the bottom of the picture arefor Boeillg 747s (see also the picture all the opposite page). Total area is more than 100 acres. Everyone in the Muslim faith is cOllsidered equal. King Faisal is
seen here, arriving at leddah, clad in pilgrim's garb.

These pilgrims 11l1\'e arril'ed hI' 0111' ,,(Salldia's 707.1' at the huge alice illside the termillal, the Hajjis share a pro!JIem commoll to Ajier arril'al at leddah. the pilgrims travel to Makkah in buses
Hajj termillal. all air tra,'ellers-:fillding the luggage! provided hy the COl'el'llment.

57
The World's Most Beautiful Airport, at Riyadh
An Airport Fit for a Capital
As Riyadh gj'ew from a small provincial town to a vibrant
metropolis-from a population of about 40,000 to more than
3,000,000 in no more than half a century-the facilities for air
traffic had to grow in parallel. At the end of the Second World
War, there was no airport at all. For thirty years, Riyadh
managed with a small field. Then, in 1974, the decision was
made to build an international airport that would do justice to
the Saudi capital's increasing importance in the world of
business and diplomacy. Situated 35 kilometers (22 miles)
north of the city center-far enough away not to be engulfed
by urban growth-the King Khaled International Airport was
opened on 5 December 1983.

Dazzling Statistics
The area of the airport exceeds 300 sq. km (about 115 sq.
miles). Two parallel runways are each 4,200 meters (13,776 The airport at Riyadh is named after
ft, or about 2~ miles) long. Each of the main terminal King Khaled Bin Abdulaziz, who
buildings has a hoor area of about 28,500 sq. meters (about reigned from 1975 until 1982.
300,000 sq. ft). Each comprises a triangular-shaped structure,
roofed by 72 similarly-shaped, spherically-arched sections. It evokes thoughts of comparison with such modern master-
The terminals are connected by link buildings, 168 metres pieces of architecture as the Sydney Opera House. It is a
(550 ft) long, equipped with moving sidewalks. Additionally, twentieth century reflection of the kind of artistic and con- The Control Tower at Riyadh International AiJporr Eighty-one
to aid passenger movement, there are 80 elevators and escala- structional genius that created the incomparable Taj Mahal. metres (266feet) high, it is one of the tallest in the world.
tors. Each terminal is equipped with eight air bridges, the first
to be supplied to the Kingdom (see illustration opposite).
The airport control tower is 81 metres (266 ft) high, and it
is one of the tallest in the world. The cargo building covers an
area of 56,400 sq. metres (600,000 sq. ft) and is the largest in
the Middle East. The Royal Pavilion, with special facilities to
welcome heads of state and VIPs, is a separate terminal
building, roofed by 33 arched sections. In the centre of the
whole terminal area is a splendid mosque, depicted in the
photographs on the opposite page.

AThing of Beauty
Explanatory literature describes Riyadh's airport by stating
that "its design adheres to Islamic traditions and harmonizes
with the natural beauty of the desert." The statement is
commendably modest. As the pictures on this and the oppo-
site page show, the King Khaled International Airport is a
creation of outstanding, even breathtaking, beauty. The archi-
tecture, the landscaping, and the functional efficiency all This airside view of King Khaled International Airport at Riyadh shows the sweeping architectural symmetry of one of the four main terminal
combine to provide its users with an unforgettable experience. buildings. The beauty of the exterior is more than matched by the breathtaking interior.

58
King Khaled International Airport

One of the four triangular terminals, each with a gross
floor area of 47,500 sq. metres (5l0,000 sq.fi.) and
composed of 72 triangular-shaped, spherically-arched
sections. In the background can be seen the mosque, the
contraltower, and the Royal Pavilion.
Another view of one of the four gracejitlterminal buildings, showing the air A view of the mosque, located in the centre of the terminal
bridges. Riyadh was the first ailport in the Kingdom to provide these, complex. It can accommodate 5,000 worshippers inside and
which were manu(aciUred in Utah, U.S.A., and imported by roll-on-roll-ofj· another 3,000 outside. ln the background can be seen parts of two
cargo ship. The total shipment weighed 8,500 tons. illternationalterminals.

The illterior of each terminal is ofslrikillg architectural desigll, combilling .timetiollal The illterior oflhe domed mosque is afascinatillg hlelld o(traditional alld modem constructional artistry. A
requirements with artistic imaginatioll. The roo(ls breathtakillg in its symmetrical thousand broll:e pallels arefitled ii1lo the dome, above a rillg o(decorative mosaic tiles, illscribed with
harmolly ofillterwovell Cllrl'es; while the ii1leriorlalldscapillg, with displays o.fflowers, passagesji"om the QII'rall. A two-metre-high clereslOry balld ottillted glass allaH'S slllllight toiilter through
lrees, alldfoull/aills. is a llOrlicllililral delight. ill sott amber alld blue tillts.

59
 porarily- to Amman; AI Khmj added as stop on trans-Arabian route. 1965

Chronology 23 Jun First (of 10) Convair 340 pressurized twin-engined

aircraft put into service: Jeddah-Riyadh-Dhahran-Beirut
I Jan Service started to Karachi and Bombay

Jeddah, Riyadh, Dhahran airports improved to full international

standards. Concrete runways added to Qassim, Gizan, Hofuf, Sakaka,
1955
Tabuk, and Wedjh. Asphalt runways added to Abha, Bisha, Madinah,
1945 Apr DC-3 route: Jeddah-Madinah-Hail-Buraidah-Riyadh
Sulayel, and TaiL Abha replaced Khamis Mushait. Qassim replaced
27 May Saudia is born with the gift of a Douglas DC-3 Sep Gizan route extended to Khamis Mushait and Nejran- Unaizah, Buraidah, Shaqra.
presented to King Abdulaziz by President Roosevelt follow- first route to southern Arabia
Operated experimentally as SAUDAIR
ing their meeting in the Great Bitter Lake in Suez Canal on
14 Feb 1945. 1956 25 Aug Joined Arab Air Carriers Organization (AACO) as
Summer Service resumed to Amman (on Jeddah-Madinah-Dam- founder member
1946 ascus route); service to Hodaidah (Yemen) via Gizan; trans-Arabian
Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAA) formed as government depart-
1967
DC-3 route included Majma; new trans-Arabian route: Jeddah-Madinah-
ment. More Douglas DC-3 aircraft acquired. al-Rass-Unaizah-Shaqra. Northern route started: Jeddah- Yanbu-Wedjh- 20 Feb Opened first direct link between eastern and western
Tabuk-Sakaka-Gurayat sectors of the Arab world, Jeddah-Beirut-Tripoli-Tunis-Rabat.
1947 4 Mar First (of3) Douglas DC-9-15 short-haul jets went into
14Mar Regular Douglas DC-3 services, stop at Hofuf 1957 service on domestic trunk routes.
Summer Taif included as stop on Jeddah-Dhahran route Apr Northern route extended to include Turaif and Badanah
17 Apr Joined International Air Transport Association (IATA)
10 Jun Service started to Damascus 1958 I May First route to Europe: Jeddah-Geneva-Frankfurt-London
Sep Service started, Jeddah-Madinah-Cairo Summer New Convair 340 international services to Dhahran-Kuwait-
1968
Basra-Baghdad; Doha; and to Aden via Asmara. Zulfi, Unaizah,
1948 Tarabah, Bisha added to DC-3 routes 15 Jan First (ofl6) Boeing 707 long-range jets went into service

Spring Service started to Beirut Dec Bristol 170s withdrawn from service I May Opened nonstop Boeing 707 route Jeddah-London; and
new domestic route Riyadh-Gizan via Sulayel, Nejran
1949 1959
28 Jun First (of 5) Bristol 170s delivered
1969
Apr Convair 340 began daily shuttle service: Jeddah-Taif-
Feb First (of many) Douglas DC-8-50 jets leased
Riyadh, and opened new trans-Arabia route: Jeddah-Madinah-Riyadh-
1950 Dhahran. Bahrain included on DC-3 service to Doha Summer Algiers included in North African route.
15 May Purchased 4 Lockheed Lodestars, but did not operate them
extensively. Sep Abadan added to international routes in Arabian Gulf 1970
Nov Service resumed to Hodaidah and Sanaa
1952 1962
Spring Temporary service started to Amman 15 Mar First (of 2) Boeing 720Bs start first jet service in the 1971
Middle East, on Jeddah-Riyadh-Dhahran trans-Arabian trunk route.
Jun First (of 5) Douglas DC-4 four-engined aircraft placed I Jun Opened Boeing 707 service, Jeddah-Rome
Jeddah-Riyadh time Ihr 20min (CY-340 time: 2hr 20min; DC-3 time
into service on trans-Arabian trunk route 3hr 30min). Oct Casablanca replaced Rabat. Jet cargo services to Europe
Sep DC-4 opened temporary service to Karachi (until Spring 1972
1953) 1963
I Apr New operating name and logo: SAUDIA, adopted
19 Feb Saudi Arabian Airlines became independent corpora-
Airline's abbreviation changed to SOl (to avoid duplication with
tion by Royal Decree No. 45, 19 February 1963, signed by King Faisal 12 Apr First (of 20) Boeing 737-200 went into service
South African Airways, which had a prior claim)
I Apr The Tapline (Trans-Arabian Oil Pipeline) service, formerly 1973
1953 operated by ARAMCO since 1950, taken over, adding a new northern 31 Dec More than a million scheduled passengers carried in one
Dec DC-4 service Dhahran-Beirut; new DC-3 route Jeddah- route: Dhahran-Qaisumah-Rafha-Badanah, and on to Amman or Beirut year for the first time. Cargo traffic increased by 53%
Port Sudan-Asmara. Temporary service to lstanbul (until 1954)
1974
1964
May Service to Sulayel suspended
1954 3 Mar First (of 2) Douglas DC-6A1B entered service, partly to
Apr DC-3 service Jeddah-Gizan; service resumed-again tem- provide additional freight capacity. Routes to Khartoum, Dubai started 2 Jun New route to Karachi opened from Jeddah, via Madinah

60
18 Jun Opened service to Paris; also to Muscat 1981 1986
3 Mar Boeing 747F cargo jet services begun to London, Paris, 2 Jun Service opened to Amsterdam
3 Dec One Nord 262 twin turboprop leased to supplement feeder
Frankfurt, Amsterdam
services (until April 1975) I Sep Established cargo hub systems at Brussels (for northern
29 Mar Service opened to Delhi Europe) and Milan (southern Europe). Milan hub was later omitted.
1975
31 Mar Service opened to Madrid
I Mar First (of4) Fairchild F -27 turboprops leased to replace J5 Dec Boeing 737 services extended to all domestic points when
DC-3s. Last Douglas DC-3 flight: Dhahran-Bahrain. 2 Apr Non-stop service opened between Jeddah and Casablanca all airfield standards were upgraded. Fokker F.28s retired.
4 Apr Service opened to Dhaka 16 Dec Service opened to Lahore
10 Jun Government ordered 25% decrease in domestic fares.
12 Apr Boeing 747 services opened with own Rolls-Royce-
15 Aug First (of 20) Lockheed L-IOll TriStar wide-bodied 1987
powered aircraft.
jets went into service
7 Feb Saudia Automated Reservations System (SARS) in-
I May Service started to Yanbu
1976 stalled at Jeddah
I Jun Arabian Express Shuttle service inaugurated, Riyadh- 31 May KingAbdulaziz International Airport opened at Jeddah
21 May GASCO (GCC Aviation Services) established for Saudi
Jeddah, with no reservation required (operated for two years) replacing the old Jeddah airport. Saudia Catering established
Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, and U.A.E. cooperation
I Aug Shuttle service extended to Dhahran. Passenger boardings 2 Ju J Non-stop Jeddah-New York service opened with Boeing
25 Oct Service begun to Kuala Lumpur
averaging 64,000 per month. 747SP. Abha opened to wide-body service, with Lockheed TriStar
and leased Airbus A300 'Horizon' business-class introduced on major international routes
Special Flight Services (SFS) Division established, with initial
fleet of Grumman Gulfstream II, for government and VIP work. 2 Jul Jeddah-Zurich-Paris cargo service begun with Douglas DC-8F
1988
1977 1982 Established cargo hub at Taipei
30 Mar Far East route extended to Singapore
Mar Leased 2 Douglas DC-8-63F cargo aircraft to cope with 17 Jun New trans-Atlantic service opened to Washington, DC
big increase in air freight traffic I Apr Sharjah added to Gulf destinations
4 Oct GASCO (see 21 May 1987) established in-flight catering
I Jun Leased two Pratt & Whitney-powered four-engined 3 Jun Direct route to Nice opened (seasonal, until 29 Oct) service in London, with Marriott International Corp. GASCO has
Boeing 747 wide-bodied jets to provide additional capacity for 30 Jun Far East route extended to Manila, Philippines 50% share in the kitchen, specializing in Islamic catering.
unprecedented traffic demand. 12 Jul Baha added as new station on southern domestic network
1989
12 Jun New hostess uniforms designed by Carven, Paris. I Nov New route to Islamabad, Pakistan's capital
20 Feb Kitchen became operational as Marriott/GCe. (This later
Summer Direct route to Tehran (but later suspended) 1983 became Caterair/GCC In-Flite Services Ltd.)
Nov Dhahran established as third domestic hub Apr Jeddah-Riyadh-Seoul route provided direct service to Korea 26 Mar Service to Larnaca; all-cargo service to Taipei.
Short Skyvans operated for Ministry of Petroleum (for 4 years) 5 Dec King Khaled International Airport opened at Riyadh. J5 Jun Service started to Addis Ababa
Spectacular design, combining architecturaJ beauty with functional
1978 requirements, attracted world-wide praise. Jun Domestic service started to Hafr al-Batin
2 Jun Service opened to Athens
31 Dec Passenger traffic totalled J 1,340,000 (an eleven-fold in- 1990
24Sep Service opened to Kano crease in a single decade) placing Saudia among the top 25 airlines in Wadi al-Dawasir added on service from Riyadh to the south
the world, and undoubtedly the largest in the Middle East
I Nov Service opened to Stockholm Regular cargo service extended from Taipei to Tokyo
1984
1979 1991
II Apr Service opened to Colombo
3 Feb Joint service opened to New York in cooperation with 17 Jan All scheduled operations suspended and all Saudi Arabian
Pan American Airways using Boeing 747SP long range aircaft. 14 May First (of 11) Airbus A300-620 wide-bodied twin- airports closed during the Gulf War (until 4 March)
engined airliners entered service. Saudia was the launching cus-
tomer for this larger variant of the basic A300. I Apr Service started to Madras
1980
3 Apr Services started to Mogadishu and Nairobi
1985 1992
I Aug Two Fokker F.28short-hauljets replaced F-27s, mainly 12 Jul First (of 11) Rolls-Royce-powered Stretched Upper 15 Apr New hostess uniforms designed by Adnan Akbar, Saudi Arabia.
on northern domestic routes (until 1986) Deck Boeing 747-368 entered service 1994
I Nov Services started to Bangkok 28 Oct Service opened to Jakarta 4 Jul Seasonal service begun to Orlando, Florida

61
 Yesterday and Today

&~~~~
Passenger Boarding Back in the old days, a short walk and a climb in the Mazing sun were necessary. The Ramp Scene Half a century ago, the sight of a DC-3 on the ramp am·acted affention.
Modern passenger loading bridges now provide immediate and convenient access to the aircraft. same aircraft almost escapes notice, dWOlfed as it is against the line of modern je/s.

"-.
Aircraft Maintenance During the era of propeller-driven aircraft, traditional skills were utilized. Even Cargo In years gone by, the DC-3 freighters were loaded by muscle-power. But the giant 747 cargo-
today there are some tasks that demand experience and skill, to supplement modern machinery. liners of /oday demand complex loading equipment to handle the heavy pallets and containers.

'=,..10..'' ' '_ _x ~~~Ii

Reservations This used to be a maffer offiling and sorting cards. Today the computerized reservations Catering There was a time when the tradi/ional keffle of tea or coffee was as much as could be
system (CRS) takes care of the vast increase in traffic throughout Saudia' s worldwide route network. expected. Now the selection (and the supervision and inspection) of meals are highly sophisticated.

Aircraft Servicing The Convair-Liners of the pis!On-engined era depended upon support equipment Training The earliest training classes were ra/her like elemen/ary schools. Nowadays, as /he
that would appear primitive, compared with today' s fleet of ramp sen'ice ,'ehicles. Saudi:a/ion process conrinues apace, modem classrooms are more intimate and personali:ed.
62
At the Helm of Saudia

HE. Ibrahim A/-Tassan H.E. Shehab Muhammad Abduljawad HE. Ahmad Salah Jamjoom H.E. Rumaih Su/aiman Al-Rumaih
1946-1960 1960-1962 1963-1965 1963-1968

H.E. Kami/ A. Sindi HE. Captain Ahmed Mallar H.E. Dr. Khalal A. Ben-Bakr
1968-1979 1979-1994 1994-

63

Index
Abd al-Multalib. grandfather of the Prophet
Muhammad. 8 .
Abdulaziz AI Saud. Saudi leader, occupies
Riyadh 9: enters Makkah, proclaimed King of
the Hijaz. establishes Kingdom. 12: accepts
DC·3 from President Roosevelt. 14:
Command Performance (DC-4). 20
Aduljawad, H.E. Shehab Muhammad. head of
Saudi Arabian Airlines. photo. 63
Abraham, the Prophet, 34
Ailsa. occupied by Turkish governor. 9:
controlled by Abdulaziz, 12
Airbus, European, development of, 52
Airbus, A300. construction and developmcnI, 52
Airbus, A300B4, shorl-term lease, 52-53
Airbus, A300B4-620, development (Saudia as
launch customer), full description, photos.
neet list, 52-53
Aircraft Maintenance-Yesterday and Today, 62
Aircraft Servicing-Yesterday and Today, 62
Al Khurma, sovereignty dispute, 12
AI-Rulllaih, H.E. Rumaih Sulaiman, head of
Saudi Arabian Airlines, photo, 63
AI-Tassan, H.E. Ibrahim, head of Saudi Arabian
Airlines, photo, 63
Arab Air Carriers Organization (AACO), SDI
membership, 26
Arabia Deserta, Ptolemy's identification, 8
Arabia Felix, PlOlemy's identification, 8
Arabia, Kingdom of, map, 9; established, 12;
size comparisons with Europe and U.S.A., 12;
Emergence of Urban Community, map, 14:
Need for Air Transport (first cars), 14
Arabia Petraea, Ptolemy's identification, 8
Arabian Express, Riyadh-Jeddah shuttle
service, 40
'Araral, location of central rite (wuquf) of Hajj,
36; map, 34
ARAMCO oil company, established. 14
Asir, occupied by Abdulaziz, 12:
Baghdad caliphate, 9
Baghdad Railway, 10
Banu Hashim, a Quraysh family. 8
Beech A36 Bonanza, flight training, 51
Beech King Air. executive use, photo, fleet list, 50
Ben·Bakr, H.E. Dr. Khaled A., Director
General, Foreword, 7; photo, 63
Black Stone, in the Ka'bah, 34
Boeing 707·300 (series), introduction, 30;
standardization with
Boeing 737, 30; full description, fleet list, 31;
photo at KAlA Airport, Jeddah, 57
Boeing 720B, supplements Convair 340. 26; full
description, fleet list, 27
Boeing 727, short-term lease, 32
Boeing 737. phOlO. 32: full description. neet list,
64
record sales 33: comparison with upper deck
or Boeing 747. 54
Boeing 747-168B (and others in series).
development. photos. full description. fleet
list. 44-45
Boeing 747-368. acquisition. phOlOS. full
description. fleet list, 54-55: comparison of
upper deck with Boeing 737 fuselage. 54
Boeing 7-t7F. freighter. description. neet lis!.
photos. 48: loading. 62
Boeing 7~7SP. photos. at Hajj terminal. 38. 56:
first 747 Atlantic services. 44: fleet. 45
Breguet- ord. designs for Airbus. 52
Bristol 170 Mk 21E. first routes (map). 16: full
description. fleet lis!. 17: photo. 18: air freight
(inc. drawing). 24
Bristol Aeroplane Company. 17
Camels and camel caravans, 10-11: map II
Canadair CL-601 Challenger. executive use.
photo. fleet list, 50
Caproni Ca 101, Italian aircraft, inspected by
King Abdulaziz, 12
Cargo-Yesterday and Today, 62
Cugo hub systems (at Brussels. Milan, Taipei)
ancl all-cargo map, 54
Carmathians of Bahrain, 9
Carven, Paris couturier, designs uniforms, 54
Catering-Yesterday and Today, 62 (see also
Saudia Catering)
Cessna 180 Skywagon, executive use, fleet
list, 50
Cessna Citation II, photo, 50; fleet list, 51
Cessna 421 B Golden Eagle, executive use. fleet
list. 50
Champion 7EC Traveler and 7ECA Citabria, used
for training fleet, 50
Champion Traveller, executive use. 50
Circumambulation (tawaf) of Ka'bah, 34
Consolidated- Vultee, builds Convair 340, 23
Convair 340 (Convair-Liner), introduction. m,lp
of routes, 22; full description, neet list, 23;
supplemented by B720B, 26: replaced by
Boeing 737. 33
Dassault Falcon 900, executive use and chaneI'
usc, fleet, 51
De Havilland Comet. begins jet age. 31
De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter 300, executive
and charter use, fleet, 51
Douglas C-54 - see Douglas DC-4
Douglas DC·3, full description, Ileet list. 15:
early routes, 16: early photos, 14, 18: 'Old
Faithful' series of color schemes, 19; air
freight (inc. drawing), 24: continues service !O
1975,30: replaced by Boeing 737. 33:
replaced by F-27, 42; ramp scene photo.
cargo,62
Douglas OC-4, Command Performance - King
Abdulaziz. 20: full
description. fleet list, 21: air freight (inc.
drawing). 24: improves to DC-6. 25
Douglas DC-6 and 6A. usc as freighter (inc.
drawing). fleet list. 24: full description. 25
Dnuglas DC·8-55 (plus early DC-8 scries.
including -61. -72). development history. full
description. fleet list. pholOs. comparison or
standard and ·stretched· models. 46-47
Douglas DC·8·63F Freighter. full description.
Ileet list. photo. 48-49
Douglas DC-9. introduction. route map. 28: full
description. fleet list. 29: replaced by Boeing
737.33
Dir'iyyah. Saudi capilal. surrenders. 9
Egyptian caliphate. 9
EMBRAER EMB-IIO Bandeirante.neet list.
photo. 42
EMBRAER EMB-121 Xingu. Ileet list. 42
Empty Quarter. southern frontier, 12
Fairchild F·27J, license-built Fokker F.27. full
description. fleet lis!. 43; photo. 42
Faisal, King. Royal Decree 10 create airline as
corporation, 26; makes pilgrimage 10
Makkah,57
Fokker F.27 Friendship, 42
Fokker F.28 Fellowship. replaces F.27. photos,
42: !leet list, 43
Freight. Air, early services. 24
Grumman Gulfstream IV, (and Gulfstre,1ll1 II
and rJI), executive anel charter use. photos,
full description, fleet list. Gulfstream
family, 50-51
Hagar, Abraham's spouse. search for waleI' at
well, 34
Hajj, the pilgrimage to Makkah, 34-36: full
history. description, map, phOIOS, hislory of
Hajj chaneI' flights, 38: the Pilgrimage People.
montage of pholOgraphs. 39: special terminal
at KAlA Airport in Jeddah, photos, 57
Halj Terminal at King Abdulaziz International
Airport. Jeddah, description and photos. 56-57
Hashim, great grandfather of Muhammad. 8
Hawker Siddeley. designs for Airbus. 52
Herodotus, Greek historian. 8
Hijaz, occupied by Egyptian Ottoman forces.
separate kingdom, 9;
Hijaz Railway, 10-11
J-1ijral1, migration, 8: lunar calendar. 38
Himyaritic Kingdom. 8
Hofuf. captured by Abdulaziz, 12
Holy Mosque, at Makkah. and map, 34: photo. 35
Husain. Sharif of Hijaz, 12
1111'01/1. garment worn at Hajj, 34
Jabal Shammar, occupied by Abdulaziz. 12
Jamjoom, H.E. Ahmad Salah, head of Saudi
Arabian Airlines. photo, 63
Ka'bah, the 'House of God.' full description.
photo, 34-35
King Abdulaziz International Aiq)Qrt (KAlA)
(at Jeddah) used during Hajj. 34: pictures of
interior, 38; opening. 54: full description.
photos. 56-57
King Fahd International Airport (at Dhahran).
under construction. 54
King Khaled International Aiq)o.-t (at Riyadh).
opened. 54: War!crs mOSI beautiful airport. al
Riyadh. full description. wilh photos. 58-59
Lapidation. cercmony at Hajj. 36
Lockheed C-130. freightcr. description.
Ileet list. 48
Lockheed Constellation. competes with DC-4. 25
Lockheed L-IOIl TriStaI'. development. photos.
40: full description. fleet lis!. 41
Lockheed Lodestar. full description. Ileet list. 17:
photo. 18
Madinah. embraces new faith. 9: mosque
photo, 34
Makkah, birthplace of Muhnmmad. early history,
8; Hajj - the pilgrimage. 34-36: air routes to
(map), 36
Martin Model 202. competes Wilh Convair
340.23
Mattar, H.E. Captain Ahmed, head of Saudia,
photo, 63
Mina, location of lapidation ceremony, 36;
map, 34
Minaean civilization, 8
Muhammad, Prophet of Islam, ancestry and
early life, revelation of God, 8; emigralion to
Yathrib 'and persecution, 9
Muhammad ibn Rashid. wins ball Ie. 9
Muhammad ibn Saud, establishes first state. 9
Muslim \\'orld, map showing world distribution
of Muslim populations, 37
Najd, declared Turkish province. but never
occupied, 9: proclaimed Sullanate. 12
Nord 262A, used brielly. 42: Ileet. 43
Ottoman Empire, conquest of Egypt, failure to
conquer ajd. 9: extent of empire
Pan American Airways, launches Boeing 707,31;
joint service with Saudia. 44
Passenger boarding-Yesterday and Today. 62
Pillars of Islam, 8
Piper PA-23 Apache. training program. 32: photo.
fleet list, 50
Piper PA-28-1 S I Archer II, l1ighttraining. 51
Ptolemy, mathematician-geographer. 8
Qur'an, reference to God's command to
Muhammad. 8; reference to Abraham and the
Hajj, 34; passages inscribed in dome of King
Khaled International Airport. Riyadh. 59
Quraysh, ruling tribe of Makkah, 8
The Ramp Scene-Yesterday and Today, 62
Reservations-Yesterday and Today. 62
Rolls-Royce, RB 2 J I engines. in Lockheed L-
1011. 40: engines in Boeing 747.54
Roosevelt, Franklin D.. U.S. President. presents
DC-3 (0 King Abdulaziz. 14
Rub' al-Khali. southern fronlicr. 12
Sabaean Kingdom early Arabian civilization.
Salim I. Turkish Sultan of Ottoman Empire. 9
Saudi Arabian Airlines (SDI). ;,rst DC·3 and
Bristol routes (inc. map). 16: Convair 340
routes and map. 22: firsl jets (Boeing 720B).
26: becomes corporation. 26: first intemational
roules (map). 26: joins lATA. 26: consolidation
of international network (map). 32: expanding
horizons, increased traffic density. 32: adopts
new log. becomes Saudi,!. 32: first Hajj flights.
38: chronology. 60 (see also Saudia)
Saudia. change of name from Saudi Arabian
Airlines. 32: Boeing 737 service. 33: first Hajj
tlights. 38; wide-bodied era begins. with
TriStar. 40--41: replaces DC-3. 42-43: trans-
Atlantic with Boeing 747. 44-45: heavy
freighter, 48-49: charters and executives. 50-
51: becomes largest airline in Middle East. 52:
A300, 52-53; world-wide stature. 54: world-
wide network (map). 54; chronology, 60-61
(see also Saudi Arabian Airlines)
Saudia Catering Service, high standards. 54;
photos of facilities m King Abdulaziz
International Airport. Jedclah. 56 (see also
Catering-Yesterday and Today)
Saudization program 54
Sharifs of Makkah, rulers of Hijaz, 9
Sheba, Queen of, 8
Short Skyvan, neet list, photn, 42
Sindi, H.E. Kamil A.. head of Saudi a and Saudi
Arabian Airlines. directs airline expansion,
photo, 63
Special Flight Services (S.F.S.) Division,
established. 50
'Standing' (wuquf) at Arafat. during Hajj. 36
Sud Aviation, designs for Airbus. 52
Sud Caravelle. design idea (leading to DC-9), 29
Sydney Opera House, architecture compared with
airport at Riyadh. 58
Taj Mahal. architecture compared with airport at
Riyadh, 58
Tarabah. Abdulaziz wins victory. 12
Tawaf. cirumambulation of Ka'bah. 34
Training-Yesterday and Today. 62
Trans-Atlantic Route. inaugurated by Boeing
747SP, (with map) 44
Transport in Arabia. early development, 10-11
Tupolev Tu-I 04, early jel service, 31
Turki. rc-establishes Saudi Stalc. 9
Ummayyael Empire. 9
'Umrah, the 'Iesser pilgrimage.· 36
Urbanization, of Kingdom (map), 52
Wide-bodied Era. begins, 40
Wuquf ('the Standing '). at Arafat. during Hajj,
36: map, 34
Yathrib. early name of Maclinah.
Zamzam, well at Makkah. 36