Riyadh, Sept. 14 -- Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has issued an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) to an Air Arabia-backed carrier, clearing the way for the launch of a new national low-cost airline based at King Fahd International Airport in Dammam.

The certificate was handed over on Monday, September 14, after the new carrier fulfilled the required regulatory, safety, security and operational standards under Saudi Arabia's Civil Aviation Law.

The airline is expected to operate from Dammam and serve 24 domestic and 57 international destinations. It is targeting around 10 million passengers annually by 2030, according to GACA.

Captain Sulaiman bin Saleh Almuhaimedi, GACA's executive vice-president for aviation s...