Sky Prime Aviation Services has become the latest aviation company in Saudi Arabia to be awarded a national air operator licence under an ongoing liberalisation of the kingdom's aviation market.

The company, which provides private jets, received the licence for chartered flights from Minister of Transport Sulaiman Al-Hamdan during a ceremony in Riyadh, according to its Twitter feed. It will launch flights at the end of 2016, it said.

It is the third air operator to be given permission to launch in the kingdom in recent months after Nesma Airlines and SaudiGulf Airlines.

The aviation sector is one of many areas the government is keen to strengthen as part of its 2030 vision, which aims to lower the kingdom's dependence on oil.

Previously, only national carrier Saudi Arabian Airlines and budget operator National Air Services were allowed to serve a domestic market of about 27 million people. Foreign carriers could fly in and out of Saudi Arabia, but not within it.

The Saudi authorities began accepting applications to allow other airlines to operate internal flights in 2012.

Riyadh-based Sky Prime will start its operations during the last quarter of 2016, according to its Twitter feed. According to its website, the company offers private jet charter, maintenance and technical support, aviation project management and ground handling.

Qatar Airways, through its subsidiary for the Saudi market, Al Maha Airways, also received an initial carrier licence in 2012 but has yet to be given final approval to operate flights in the kingdom.  - Reuters