The King Fahd International Airport (KFIA), in Damma, Saudi Arabia, has announced the opening of its cargo village covering 500,000 sq m. The cargo village has been designed to position KFIA as a multi-modal shipment and clearance destination, directly serving the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. The new facility offers direct access to Saudi Arabia and bypasses the need for cargo to tranship through neighbouring countries.
KFIA worked in cooperation with Saudi Customs and Changi Airports International (CAI) for the planning and implementation of the cargo village. Following a six-year agreement, the General Authority of Civil Aviation extended the contract with CAI in November 2014 to manage and operate KFIA for the maximum permissible period of seven months.
The cargo village has been designed to international standards and has been customized to maximize convenience for airlines and freight companies operating from KFIA. The cargo village assists express cargo delivery with reduced shipping times and increases cargo capacity, promising operating efficiencies for freight companies.
The Director-General of KFIA, Yousef Al-Dhahri said, “KFIA’s cargo village offers ease of shipping and cargo services while serving as a regional hub for global companies. Most importantly the cargo village creates new economic and employment opportunities for the Eastern Province. With our continued partnership with Changi Airports International and their efforts, we are on track to become one of the region’s leading aviation hubs serving both passenger and cargo traffic. We anticipate that we will soon be starting the next phase as the demand for facilities is expected to grow strongly.”
