Airfield
The city of Shaqra was among the early towns where aircraft landed on unpaved ground. It received its first airplane in the year 1374 AH, carrying King Saud—may God have mercy on him—during his first visit to the city after assuming the throne. During that visit, His Majesty ordered the establishment of an airfield to accommodate aircraft, and the airport was subsequently constructed in 1374 AH. It was a dirt airstrip that immediately began operations.
Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al‑Shuwaimi, a resident of Shaqra, was appointed as the local agent of Saudi Arabian Airlines under a contract assigning him full responsibility for the airport’s administration and operations in 1374 AH. At that time, the airport consisted only of a tent, with no buildings whatsoever. Later, a single room was constructed along the airport boundary, equipped with a few basic tools that were of limited significance for takeoff or landing. All that was required was a flat, open stretch of land to serve as a runway, without any paving or asphalt.
In 1380 AH, King Saud—may God have mercy on him—visited Shaqra once again, arriving at the airport accompanied by six Dakota aircraft. The airport was eventually closed in 1386 AH following the construction of the paved road linking Shaqra to Riyadh.
Among the towns that received an aircraft landing for the first time—despite having no airport—was the town of Marat, also in 1374 AH. The aircraft carried King Saud bin Abdulaziz—may God have mercy on him—and landed in an area known as Al‑Sabkhah, located a short distance from the town. Prior to the landing, stones were arranged on the ground and painted white to mark the landing zone for the aircraft arriving from Riyadh.
The plane landed safely in the late afternoon, raising clouds of dust due to the salt‑flat terrain. The townspeople, along with the local governor, watched in astonishment. King Saud’s encampment was located roughly one hundred meters from the landing site. His Majesty remained in Marat for two days, during which the townspeople held a grand reception in his honor. Students from the Saudi School participated with displays using weapons borrowed from their families, and they presented songs, speeches, and poems. The Saudi ‘ardah was also performed, and a large banquet was held in his honor.
The aircraft departed the following day after spending a full day and night in the town. The people gathered en masse to witness its takeoff—an extraordinary event at the time—as it carried His Majesty and circled over the town and its farms at low altitude, startling livestock unaccustomed to the sound. The memory of this event remains vivid among those who witnessed it, and the landing site has since been known locally as “the airport.”