Aloula Aviation

Aloula Aviation is the first airline company in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, established in 1934 under the name of "Saudi Aramco Aviation." It was wholly owned by Saudi Aramco and operated primarily in oil exploration in the Kingdom's desert. The company was later transformed into a separate entity dubbed "Mukamalah Aviation Company." In August 2024, its new trademark was revealed, labeled "Aloula Aviation." The new name, Aloula—Arabic for first—was selected based on its historical legacy, being the first company to provide civil aviation services in the Kingdom. Its headquarters is in Dammam City.

Aloula Aviation possesses nearly sixty aircraft from different fleets, all serving different purposes. It regularly serves eighteen airports across the Kingdom, including nine fully managed, operated, and served by the company. It also oversees about three hundred helipads.

The first aircraft belonging to the company was "Fairchild 71" in 1934, as it was primarily used for oil exploration in the Kingdom's desert. In 1943, the company launched its first DC-3 aircraft during Prince (King) Faisal Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud's trip to San Francisco.

In 1952, one of the major pathways was the pipeline that transcended the Arabian Peninsula to the Sidon Station in Lebanon. The DC-4 aircraft contributed to the transportation of engineers and employees, besides its operations in the pipeline, and ensuring its safety by performing regular patrols. Additionally, this aircraft played a role in transporting and importing fresh goods and dairy products.

In 1959, Mukamalah Company got involved in developing the local workforce. It transported sponsored Saudi Aramco students to their universities in Cairo and Beirut from Dhahran Airport.

In 1962, the company successfully purchased a Gulfstream (G-II) aircraft. Subsequently, in 1970, Saudi Aramco initiated the expansion into maritime production. This included employing helicopters in maritime transfers and the company's management efforts over the oil spills during the Air Tractor operations in 1996.

The company developed further in 2022, operating forty-eight aircraft from diverse fleets and autonomously managing about nine airports and roughly three hundred helipads across the Kingdom.

In 2023, Mukamalah Company became fully separate from Saudi Aramco. As a result, it gained the opportunity to expand its operations into other markets and serve additional customers while preserving all its current assets.

In 2024, Mukamalah Company revealed its new trademark, "Aloula Aviation."

Aloula Aviation aims to support operational efficiencies and enhance the aviation and logistics services sector for companies in the Kingdom in line with Saudi Vision 2030. It also seeks to provide leading, safe, and reliable aviation solutions and contribute to the development of the Saudi economy.

Aloula Aviation boasts a diverse fleet of aircraft, including Boeing 737-800, Hawker Beechcraft 900XP, as well as Airbus H145 helicopters.

Aloula Aviation offers a wide array of aviation services, including aeromedical evacuation, geological surveys, maintenance and repair procedures, and search and rescue operations. The company also provides business charter flights for corporations and other interested entities, alongside airport management services, etc.

In 2024, Aloula Aviation signed an agreement with Milestone Aviation Group focused on supporting and enhancing the manufacturing and maintenance of helicopters in the Kingdom.