Riyadh — On Tuesday, the Saudi national airline said it expected the US to lift a ban on laptops and tablets in the cabins of its US-bound flights from the kingdom by July 19. Saudia, also known as Saudi Arabian Airlines, said the ban would be lifted "on or before July 19" and it was working with US authorities on "alternative security measures". In March, Washington barred all electronic devices larger than a cellphone in the cabins of direct flights to the US from 10 airports in Turkey, the Middle East and North Africa, only allowing them in hold luggage. The ban was brought in after intelligence officials learnt of efforts by jihadists from Islamic State to produce a bomb that could be hidden inside such devices. For the same reason, Britain also banned similar-sized electronics from the cabins of direct flights from six countries. Washington said it would abolish the ban for companies that implemented new safety measures. On Sunday, Etihad Airways became the first airline to ben...
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