Business & Money | Wednesday 16 August, 2017 3:37 am |

The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) and Uber, the leading ride hailing app, have signed an agreement for dedicated Uber pick-up and drop-off locations at GACA managed airports across the Kingdom over the next three months. The agreement, which was signed today, will also see GACA and Uber work together closely to provide travellers with a wider range of transportation options, as part of the Kingdom’s continued efforts to provide those traveling to and throughout the Kingdom with an enhanced experience.

The agreement is the latest in Uber’s efforts to make transportation more readily available throughout the country. The technology company already boasts built-in features aimed at providing riders with the best experience,  like driver verification, scheduled rides, and ETA (estimated time of arrival) sharing with families and loved ones.

Sakhr Bin Abdulrahman Al Mulhim, the General Manager of Commercial Airports Operations, said: "The agreement with Uber, one of the leading providers of smart transportation services in the Kingdom, will contribute to improving passenger satisfaction and providing excellent services. The agreement aims to facilitate the transfer of passengers to and from Kingdom airports and to make it more efficient for passengers and airport attendants.”

"The agreement will help in continuing to provide opportunities that firms like Uber are providing for Saudis around the Kingdom, and allow Uber partner-drivers to reliably pick-up and drop-off riders, which is the goal of the General Authority of Civil Aviation - to improve the quality of services provided to the beneficiaries of the airports under their supervision," he added.

Zeid Hreish, General Manager at Uber KSA said: “This is testament to our growing commitment to the Kingdom, as we continue to seek partnerships that allow people to move around their cities easily and reliably. Airports around the Kingdom welcome thousands of travellers on a daily basis, and technologies like Uber allow for more flexibility, reliability, and safety when commuting to and from those airports.  This is in addition to the broader impact we are having - with over 80,000 Saudi driver-partners on-boarded on the app.”

In May, the Saudi Arabian Public Transport Authority (PTA) awarded Uber a certificate for regulatory alignment - a reflection of the company’s alignment with local regulations, and its commitment to providing economic opportunities in the Kingdom. Uber has already on-boarded more than 80,000 Saudi driver-partners on the app over the past year – a number that is expected to grow as agreements with the likes of GACA, and RAC (Riyadh Airport Company) earlier this month, are signed.  

The signing comes at an important juncture in the summer, with high footfall at Saudi airports expected as a result of the Hajj Pilgrimage and holidays later this year.