Saudia puts global PR account up for grabs

The Saudi Arabian airline Saudia is in talks with a number of

agencies to take on its global PR account, thought to be worth around

pounds 750,000.

Saudia is also looking for advertising and direct marketing support.

Hill and Knowlton’s Jeddah office and Burson-Marsteller’s Saudi

affiliate Ailamia Intermarkets are believed to be among those

pitching.

Intermarkets Advertising, the Jeddah-based sister company to Ailamia

Intermarkets, has worked on Saudia’s PR, advertising, sales promotion

and direct marketing accounts since 1992.

Saudia is the largest airline in the Middle East, carrying over 12

million passengers in 1996. This summer it announced the overhaul of its

corporate identity, redesigning its aircraft livery and company logo. It

is also in the process of expanding the number of routes it can

offer.

The airline currently flies to 50 international airports in the USA,

Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East. In January Saudia announced a

cooperation agreement with United Airlines which has led to it offering

flights from Jeddah to Los Angeles.

Saudia is upgrading its 113-strong fleet with the order of 61 new

aircraft over the next five years. The modernisation of the state-owned

carrier is partly in preparation for an expected privatisation.

Ailamia Intermarkets was launched last month (PR Week, 17 October) and

is a joint venture by businesses including Intermarkets PR and the King

Faisal Foundation, a philanthropic organisation.