Dubai – Mubasher: The Dammam Airports Company (DACO) on Monday annoucned signing two strategic agreements at the 18th Airport Show, in Dubai, the UAE.

The deals were signed with the world's fifth-largest materials handling systems supplier Vanderlande and public service provider in the fields of defence, transport, justice, immigration, health Serco Middle East.

In one of the deals, DACO and Vanderlande will collaborate on introducing a state-of-the-art Baggage Handling System (BHS) at King Fahd International Airport (KFIA), which will support and facilitate travel procedures for airport personnel, passengers, and airlines, DACO said in a statement.

DACO CEO Turki Abdullah Al-Jawini said his company was excited to partner with global leaders like Vanderlande and Serco Middle East, who will help DACO carry out its long-term plans and transform the airport into a major hub for air transportation within the region and beyond.

“Guided by our vision to transform airports and redefine the travel experience, our efforts in the last 10 months have focussed on expanding the airport’s operational efficiency, as it witnesses a steady growth in passenger traffic and an increased demand for commercial services,” he added.

The deal with Serco Middle East entails the instalation of cutting-edge fire and rescue services at the airport, which will make KFIA “the first Saudi airport to leverage an international service provider’s expertise in firefighting systems, will help raise the airport’s safety standards in line with its existing firefighting protocols,” the statement showed.