The Saudi Aviation Club (SAC) is official

aviation Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' includes fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air craft such as hot ...

club of the

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...

History

"The Saudi Aviation Club (SAC) was established by resolution 217 of the council of ministers on 4 December 2000 as an independent nonprofit entity to promote aeronautical sciences and to encourage the participation of the public in aviation. SAC’s airport is located in Thumama, approximately 60 km north of

Riyadh Riyadh (, ar, الرياض, 'ar-Riyāḍ, Literal translation, lit.: 'The Gardens' Najdi Arabic, Najdi pronunciation: ), formerly known as Hajr al-Yamamah, is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyad ...

." Plans for the club were unveiled on January 31, 2007 at the Middle East Business Aviation exhibition by Prince Sultan bin Salman who is the founder and chairman of the SAC. Prince Bandar bin Khalid is a SAC managing director. The first Arab tournament for

Radio-controlled aircraft A radio-controlled aircraft (often called RC aircraft or RC plane) is a small flying machine that is controlled remotely by an operator on the ground using a hand-held radio transmitter. The transmitter continuously communicates with a receiver ...

was sponsored by the SAC and the Arab Union for Sky Sports. The event attracted 40 professionals from eight countries. In response to a directive from

Nayef bin Abdulaziz Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ( ar, نايف بن عبد العزيز آل سعود, ''Nāyif ibn ‘Abd al ‘Azīz Āl Su‘ūd''; 1934 – 16 June 2012) was the crown prince of Saudi Arabia and deputy prime minister from October 2011 and the min ...

, SAC is "compiling a list of rules for those who practice gliding as a hobby. These will provide safety guidelines and prevent smuggling by restricting the hobby to certain authorized areas." The Saudi Aviation Club Airfield is located at the

Thumamah Airport Thumamah Airport is an airport located near ath-Thumamah in northeastern Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It is located about 28.9 km (18 mi) north of King Khalid International Airport. See also * List of longest runways * Saudi Aviation Club ...

. "Access to Thumama Airport is only permitted to SAC membership holders." The Saudi Aviation Flight Academy (SAFA) is located at the Saudi Aviation Club. There are "ongoing efforts to transform the Saudi Aviation Club into an association which would act as umbrella for various aviation clubs, pilots, and aviation enthusiasts throughout the Kingdom."Saudi Aviation Club News
21 November 2011

References

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External links

Saudi Aviation Club website

King’s picture in Jeddah sky today
2000 establishments in Saudi Arabia Organizations established in 2000 Aviation in Saudi Arabia