Prince_Naif_bin_Abdulaziz_International_Airport
Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz International Airport
Airport in Buraidah, Saudi Arabia
Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz International Airport (Arabic: مطار الأمير نايف بن عبدالعزيز الدولي) (IATA: ELQ, ICAO: OEGS), formerly Qassim International Airport, is an international airport serving Buraidah, Saudi Arabia.[2] Located in Buraidah and named after the former Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz, it primarily serves the northern provinces of the kingdom. International routes are limited to 9 countries: the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Bahrain, Azerbaijan (seasonal), Bosnia and Herzegovina (seasonal), Qatar, Kuwait, Pakistan, and Turkey. Established in 1964,[3] the airport is owned and operated by the Matarat Holding Company. It was renamed Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz International Airport by royal decree by King Abdullah on 5 July 2012 in memory of former Crown Prince Naif.[4][3]
Prince Sultan, then crown prince and minister of defense and aviation, launched an expansion project of the royal terminal at the airport in 2003. GACA has spent more than SR300 million on expansion projects since 1964, and the airport continues to undergo further expansion as it consolidates its position as a main aviation hub in Saudi Arabia's central region.[3][5]