JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s King Khalid International Airport recorded the highest on-time departure rate among the Kingdom’s international airports in April, achieving 90 percent punctuality, official data showed.  

According to the monthly report published by the General Authority of Civil Aviation, the Riyadh-based hub outperformed larger airports such as Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International, the Saudi Press Agency reported. 

The report comes as Saudi Arabia continues to push operational upgrades under its National Aviation Strategy, part of the broader Vision 2030 plan to position the Kingdom as a regional air transit hub. 

“The report issued in April 2025 indicated that King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, Abha International Airport, Neom International Airport, Turaif Airport, and Wadi Al-Dawasir Airport topped the advanced positions in the report,” the SPA report stated. 

The rankings are based on data compiled by Matarat Holding Co. and exclude canceled flights. Performance is measured by flights departing or arriving within 15 minutes of their scheduled times. 

In the category of international airports handling more than 15 million passengers annually, the Jeddah-based King Abdulaziz International Airport recorded a punctuality rate of 78 percent, according to the study.  

For international airports serving between 5 million and 15 million passengers annually, King Fahd International Airport in Dammam secured the highest ranking with an on-time performance of 87 percent. Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah, which also falls under this category, recorded a 72 percent rate. 

In the segment of international airports accommodating between 2 million and 5 million passengers annually, Abha International Airport posted the highest punctuality rate at 91 percent. This was followed by King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Airport in Jizan with 90 percent, and Tabuk Airport with 82 percent. 

NEOM Bay International Airport led among international airports with fewer than 2 million passengers annually, achieving a 95 percent on-time departure rate. Other strong performers in this category included Al-Ahsa International Airport at 93 percent and Najran Airport at 89 percent. 

Turaif and Wadi Al-Dawasir airports recorded perfect performance among domestic flight hubs, achieving 100 percent on-time departures. King Saud bin Abdulaziz Airport in Al-Baha followed closely with 99 percent, while Bisha Airport posted 94 percent. 

At the airline level, national flag carrier Saudia reported an 89 percent on-time rate for arrivals and departures. Meanwhile, flynas achieved 86 percent for arrivals and 91 percent for departures, while flyadeal recorded 87 percent and 91 percent, respectively. 

Regarding specific flight routes, the Riyadh–Abha domestic passage maintained a strong on-time departure rate of 96 percent. Other high-performing domestic routes included Riyadh–Tabuk and Riyadh–Dammam, both at 96 percent, while the Jizan–Riyadh route sustained its previous month’s rate of 95 percent. 

Internationally, the Riyadh–Amman route recorded the highest on-time performance at 97 percent, followed by Riyadh–Bahrain at 94 percent, Riyadh–Dubai at 93 percent, and Riyadh–Kuwait at 92 percent. The Jeddah–Amman route also achieved a 94 percent punctuality rate.

KARACHI: The Pakistani government has allocated 2,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity in the first phase of a national initiative to power bitcoin mining and Artificial Intelligence (AI) data centers, the finance ministry announced on Sunday, in a push to transform Pakistan into a global leader in digital innovation.

The initiative is spearheaded by the Pakistan Crypto Council (PCC), a government-backed body under the Ministry of Finance, as part of a broader strategy to monetize surplus electricity, create high-tech jobs, attract billions of dollars in foreign direct investment.

Pakistan is uniquely positioned, both geographically and economically, to become a global hub for data centers, and offers the most strategic location in the world for data flow and digital infrastructure as a bridge between Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

Pakistan’s combination of surplus power, geographic advantage, advanced subsea cable connectivity, renewable energy potential, and a large, digitally engaged population creates a compelling case for becoming a regional epicenter of Web3, AI, and digital innovation.

“This strategic allocation marks a pivotal moment in Pakistan’s digital transformation journey, unlocking economic potential by turning excess energy into innovation, investment, and international revenue,” Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb was quoted as saying by his ministry.

Since the inception of the PCC, there has been tremendous interest from global bitcoin miners and data infrastructure companies, and several international firms have already visited Pakistan for exploratory discussions, according to the finance ministry. Following this landmark announcement, more global players are expected to visit in the coming weeks.

It said Pakistan’s underutilized power generation capacity is now being repurposed into a high-value digital asset.

“AI data centers and Bitcoin mining operations, known for their consistent and heavy energy usage, provide an ideal use case for this surplus,” the ministry said. ‘Redirecting idle energy, especially from plants operating below capacity, allows Pakistan to convert a long-standing financial liability into a sustainable, revenue-generating opportunity.”

PCC CEO Bilal bin Saqib emphasized the transformative nature of this initiative, saying Pakistan could become a global crypto and AI powerhouse with proper regulation, transparency, and international collaboration.
“This energy-backed digital transformation not only unlocks high-value investment but enables the government to generate foreign exchange in USD through bitcoin mining,” he said.

“Additionally, as regulations evolve, Pakistan can accumulate bitcoin directly into a national wallet, marking a monumental shift from selling power in Pakistani Rupees (PKR) to leveraging digital assets for economic stability.”

In April, Pakistan introduced its first-ever policy framework to regulate virtual assets and service providers, aligning with compliance and financial integrity guidelines of the global Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The move followed the establishment of the PCC in March to create a legal framework for cryptocurrency trading in a bid to lure international investment.

With the right incentives, strategic investments, and collaborative partnerships, Pakistan is positioning itself not only as a destination for global digital infrastructure but also as a sovereign economy that can accumulate digital assets, export digital services, and lead in the next generation of technological transformation.

“By offering stable and affordable energy, Pakistan presents a highly competitive environment compared to regional counterparts like India and Singapore, where rising power costs and land scarcity limit scalability,” the finance ministry said.

“Pakistan’s strategic advantage is further underscored by the global context: while AI data center demand has soared to over 100GW, global supply remains around 15GW. This massive shortfall creates an unprecedented opportunity for countries like Pakistan with surplus power, land, and an emerging regulatory framework.”

Pakistan’s digital connectivity has also been significantly strengthened by the landing of the world’s largest submarine Internet cable. The Africa-2 Cable Project, a 45,000-kilometer global network connecting 33 countries through 46 landing stations, has now landed in Pakistan. This milestone enhances Pakistan’s Internet bandwidth, latency, and resilience through redundant fiber routes — key for ensuring high availability and operational continuity for AI data centers.

With a population of over 250 million and more than 40 million crypto users, Pakistan holds immense potential as a regional leader in digital services, according to the finance ministry.

Establishing local AI data centers will not only address growing concerns around data sovereignty but will also enhance cybersecurity, improve digital service delivery, and empower national capabilities in AI and cloud infrastructure. These centers are expected to create thousands of direct and indirect jobs, catalyzing the development of a skilled workforce in engineering, IT, and data sciences.

“This announcement marks only the first phase of a broader, multi-stage digital infrastructure rollout. Future developments are expected to include renewable energy-powered facilities — leveraging Pakistan’s immense wind (50,000 MW potential in the Gharo-Keti Bandar corridor), solar, and hydropower resources — strategic international partnerships with leading blockchain and AI companies, and the establishment of fintech and innovation hubs,” the ministry said.

“These efforts will be complemented by proposed incentives such as tax holidays, customs duty exemptions on equipment, and reduced taxes for AI infrastructure developers.”