Saudi Arabian Airlines, the national carrier of kingdom, has taken delivery of its first Airbus A330 aircraft.

The airline made an order for eight A330 aircraft in 2008 and is scheduled to take delivery of six of the planes in 2010.

The remaining two aircraft will be added to the fleet in early 2011, according to a spokesman at the airline.

Saudi Arabian Airlines signed a number of deals in March that included a deal with local Samba Financial Group and France’s BNP Paribas which will finance the new fleet of aircraft (MEED 22:3:10).

The new aircraft on order also includes a total of 58 Airbus aircraft and 12 Boeing 787 aircraft that are scheduled to be delivered over the next three years.

Airlines in Saudi Arabia are expanding their routes and fleets to cater to the new airport developments taking place in the kingdom.