What Is the First Military Airport in Saudi Arabia?

The "Hejaz Najd Air Force" Airport, on Darin Island, the Eastern Province, is the first military airport in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It was established by the Founding King Abdulaziz Bin Abdulrahman Al Saud in 1925, before the unification of the Kingdom, to serve as the first airport of the Royal Saudi Air Force.

In 1929, King Abdulaziz decided to purchase four British "Westland Wapiti II" airplanes to support the air force.

In 1930, the Arab Aviation Society was established in Makkah al-Mukarramah. It sought to encourage the youth to learn aviation and purchase airplanes. The first delegation comprised ten individuals sent to Italy in 1935 to learn aviation sciences. They were among the first to obtain international certificates in the field of aviation in the Kingdom.

In 2022, the Crown Prince, Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, announced the developmental approach for Darin and Tarout islands, as well as the future initiatives of the island, and the establishment of the Darin and Tarout Island Development Corporation. More than nineteen unique initiatives have been developed to achieve the goals of the developmental approach for the island, including the restoration of Darin Airport as a heritage tourism destination.