Saudi airports providing additional services for Dakar Rally

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation said it has prepared the Kingdom’s airports to deliver a number of additional services during the 2022 Dakar Rally, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.

This year’s rally, organized by the Ministry of Sports with the supervision of the Saudi Automobile Federation, marks the third consecutive year the Kingdom has hosted the event. It has attracted more than 650 participants from 70 countries, making it the biggest Dakar Rally so far in terms of number of entrants.

The airport services that have been provided for the event include special reception areas, the facilitation of arrival and departure procedures, and areas for finalizing travel procedures, the authority said. In addition, an area has been provided for the operation of 15 helicopters registered with the Helicopter Aircraft Company, 10 of which are locally registered, and six winged aircraft have been licensed for air-support purposes such as medical evacuation.

The authority added that it has equipped service areas and facilities, is providing permits for rally organizers, operators and participants, and published three guidebooks about rally licensing requirements, refueling outside airports, and dealing with dust.

The GACA said it has issued permits to enter and use airports, in addition to coordinating with the Saudi Air Navigation Services Company to organize air traffic required for Dakar Rally operations.

The 2022 Dakar Rally began on Jan. 1 and continues until Jan. 14