An affiliate of French outdoor advertising firm JCDecaux won a contract for exclusive advertising rights in all of Saudi Arabia's 26 airports, the Saudi Civil Aviation Authority (GACA) said this past Saturday.

The 10-year deal between GACA and JCDecaux-ATA follows recent efforts by authorities to upgrade its airports which are under pressure mainly from a growing number of about 3 million Muslim pilgrims and 8 million foreign expatriate workers.
JCDecaux holds 60% in JCDecaux-ATA, and private Saudi Group ATA holds the remaining 40%. The value of the deal has not been disclosed.
GACA said 45 million passengers used Saudi airports in 2009. Nearly 88% of them passed through the kingdom's 4 international airports of Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, and Madinah.
Because it applies a strict version of Islam, Saudi authorities ban advertising posters from showing pictures deemed as indecent or promoting the consumption of alcohol, banned in the kingdom.

 

 

source: Reuters