DAMMAM – Dammam Airports Company (DACO) has stated that Serco Arabia, which has been awarded a 10-year contract for the provision of fire and safety services at King Fahd International Airport (KFIA), is committed to retain employees who previously worked at the airport's fire and safety unit.

“Some of these workers have already signed contracts with Serco,” said DACO in comments published by Al-Hayat Arabic daily. The termination of existing workers in the airport's fire and safety department had raised a big furor with social media activists denouncing the move.

“We are now undergoing a restructuring process and wanted to award some of its services to specialized companies. Serco has agreed to give job offers to staff members of the previous fire and safety department at Dammam airport,” the company said.

DACO had dismissed several of its Saudi employees between May 9 and 11 in a move described by the employees and legal experts as a violation of the labor law.

Serco will employ Saudi men and women in line with Saudi labor regulations while preserving ethical and material rights of the workers, the company said.

Some employees of the previous department have accepted the offers made by Serco and signed their work contracts. The company is awaiting the signing of contracts by other workers. “We have informed the Ministry of Labor and Social Development the employment procedures,” it added.

DACO reiterated its determination to extend all possible support to young Saudi men and women who have joined the company in order to strengthen their skills and capabilities and enhance their professional efficiency.

“Signing contracts with specialized companies to provide various services is DACO’s strategy to improve services with the support of capable and qualified Saudi workers. We will provide the Saudis with necessary training to enable them to carry out their duties efficiently,” the company said.

DACO reiterated its desire to recruit more Saudi workers to take up various jobs. “We will train them to play a leadership role in the company and manage this vital sector,” it added.

DACO said it has already achieved 98 percent Saudization and within two years it would be able to accomplish 100 percent. “We are committed to provide best services and excellent training to our staff to motivate them to extend the best possible services to our customers.”

DACO's CEO Turki Al-Jawini said, “We are delighted to enter into a partnership with Serco through this new contract. By combining Serco’s expertise as a globally recognized fire and safety service provider with Dammam Airports Company’s ambition, our objective is to serve as one of the effective enablers in the transformation of Saudi Arabia’s aviation sector in line with the goals of Vision 2030. The collaboration will also help us contribute to the growth of the Eastern Province’s economy through the development of an efficient and effective gateway for passengers and cargo.”

Serco operates a number of fire services globally with contracts in the civilian, aviation and defense markets, including the International Fire Training Center (IFTC) in the UK.

Both DACO and Serco are eager to work collaboratively to support the development of an effective corporatized aviation sector as a key element of the Kingdom’s ambitious Vision 2030. Serco Middle East has been delivering a fully-integrated world-class service in the Middle East for over 60 years.