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Darin Airport

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Darin Airport

مطار دارين
Summary
Airport typeDefunct
LocationQatif, Saudi Arabia
Opened1911 (1911)
Closed1932 (1932)

Darin Airport (Arabic: مطار دارين) was a military airport in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. It was established around 1911 during World War I.[1] It is considered to be the oldest and first airport in Saudi Arabia.[2] Weekly flights once operated between Darin Airport and Qudaibiya Airport in Manama.[1] The airport ceased operations in 1932 and was abandoned in 1939, leaving only a fuel storage room, isolated from the building and the runway, which was located 600 meters from the coastline.

Layout

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The airport originally consisted of three small rectangular rooms, two of which were adjacent. These rooms were built using mud, marine stones, and clay. Nearby, on the western side, stood a wooden pole called "Bandira," equipped with a kerosene lantern suspended by ropes to guide aircraft at night. The Bandira, set in a stone and mud marine base, was located over 100 meters west of the airport rooms and stood 20 meters tall. It was removed by the Tarout Municipality in 1970. A third, more remote room was situated northwest of the Bandira. This room, still standing today, recently contained disassembled parts of an old aircraft stored inside.[1]

Early Aviation in the Region

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The first hands-on experience with aviation came when the Saudi government established a flight school on Darin Airport in 1929 and acquired four British-made Westland Wapiti Mark II aircraft.[2] However, the project faced challenges, including technical difficulties with maintenance and spare parts. Consequently, the school and its four aircraft were relocated to Jeddah Airport on September 15, 1930.[3][4]

Closure

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Darin Airport was abandoned in 1939.[1] Around 1963, remaining aircraft and ammunition stored at the airport were removed. The remnants of Darin Airport were visible until 1970 when the site was cleared by the Tarout Municipality.[5] Today, only the fuel storage room remains and the site is designated as historical landmark.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "مطار دارين" (in Arabic). 2016-10-24. Archived from the original on 2016-10-24. Retrieved 2025-01-17.
  2. ^ a b "ما هو أول مطار عسكري في السعودية؟". سعوديبيديا (in Arabic). 2024-11-04. Retrieved 2025-01-17.
  3. ^ "عبد_السلام_سرحان []". 2017-07-13. Archived from the original on 2017-07-13. Retrieved 2025-01-17.
  4. ^ "تنظيمات الدولة في عهد الملك عبد العزيز، ٣٤٣١-٣٧٣١ ه/٤٢٩١-٣٥٩١ م: دراسة تاريخية - عتيبي، ابراهيم بن عويض الثعلي - Google Books". 2020-03-08. Archived from the original on 2020-03-08. Retrieved 2025-01-17.
  5. ^ قطيف وملحقاتها أبعاد وتطلعات، تأليف الشيخ عبد العظيم المشيخص، الطبعة الأولى 2002م، منشورات شركة الشيخ للتحقيق والنشر، بيروت – لبنان، جـ1/ 374.