Riyadh Airports Company and Uber have signed an agreement on Tuesday to transport passengers to and from King Khalid International Airport (KKIA) in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
Uber has been given three dedicated areas at the airport, a statement said.
The newly-established Riyadh Airports Company is part of the privatisation program of the aviation sector in Saudi Arabia, and the company is responsible for managing and operating KKIA.
“This agreement is in line with Riyadh Airports’ approach towards developing strategic partnerships that will enhance the customer experience of passengers traveling through King Khalid International Airport,” said Saleh Al Rasheed, CEO of Riyadh Airports.
In March, drivers from ride-hailing services Uber and Careem were barred from picking up passengers from Saudi Arabia's airports, Reuters reported, quoting a spokesman from the kingdom's General Directorate of Traffic.
Contrary to other Gulf countries, like the UAE, where car-hailing companies have faced a hard time to eventually become regulated, Saudi Arabia has embraced Uber and regional rival Careem to a far greater extent, courting both companies with state investments to support its Vision 2030 economic reform plan.
Last December, Careem secured $500 million in a new round of funding led by high-profile investors such as Saudi Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal's Kingdom Holding Company (KHC) and Daimler AG, while Uber received a $3.5 billion injection from Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund in 2016.
