Saudi Arabian Airlines

Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) is the national airline of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the largest airline in the Middle East. It flies 12 billion passengers per year. The airline carries many observers as they make an annual pilgrimage, the hajj, to the holiest of destinations in the Muslim world. Saudia Arabian religious practice prevents the carrier from serving alcoholic beverages to passengers and also informs certain personnel policies

The origin of Saudi Arabian Airlines goes back to April 1945, when U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt presented a single Douglas DC-3 to King Abdul Aziz ibn Saud. This aircraft was quickly put into service to transport passengers and mail between the country's three main cities: Jeddah, Riyadh, and Dhahran. By the end of 1945 an additional four DC-3 aircraft had been purchased by the Saudi Arabian government. Under the aegis of the Saudi Ministry of Defense and utilizing the existing government equipment and personnel, Saudi Arabian Airlines was formed in September 1946. In October of the same year the first international flight took off for Jerusalem, returning via Beirut carrying pilgrims bound for Mecca. By the end of the year the first overseas office was taking bookings in Cairo.