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The General Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises (Monsha'at) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) yesterday during the “Beban 24” forum. Organized by “Monsha'at” under the slogan “A Global Destination for Opportunities,” the event took place from November 5 to 9 at the Riyadh Exhibition and Convention Center. The MoU was signed on behalf of Monsha’at by the Deputy Governor for the Entrepreneurship Sector, Saud bin Khalid Al-Sabhan, and on behalf of GACA, by the Deputy CEO for the Aviation Security Sector, Mohammed bin Saad Al-Fawzan. This agreement aims to foster cooperation between the two organizations to support enterprises within the civil aviation sector by organizing challenges and hackathons and encouraging innovation in the sector. Beban 24 serves as a crucial platform for advancing the rapid development of Saudi Arabia’s small and medium enterprises and entrepreneurship sectors. It helps to create a supportive environment in collaboration with enabling and supporting partners across the public and private sectors.

His Excellency the President of the General Authority of Civil Aviation, Mr. Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Duailej, chaired the inaugural meeting of the Committee for Activating the Environmental Sustainability Program for Saudi Civil Aviation. The meeting was attended by committee members, representatives of the Ministry of Energy, and stakeholders in the aviation sector, including national carriers, airport operators, and service providers, at GACA’s main headquarters in Riyadh. This meeting marks a step towards fostering integration between government entities and aviation companies to address environmental sustainability challenges, contributing to the objectives of the Saudi Green Initiative and the National Aviation Strategy. These initiatives aim to bolster the Kingdom's leadership in environmental protection, aligning with the goals of Vision 2030. The program aims to create a platform that facilitates oversight and coordination among aviation sector stakeholders, providing essential support for effective program implementation. It further seeks to strengthen follow-up practices and monitor progress to ensure continuous improvement in performance indicators and program targets, in line with the national strategy for the civil aviation sector and the Kingdom's Vision 2030. The Saudi Civil Aviation Environmental Sustainability Program (CAESP) is distinguished by a regulatory framework that promotes robust governance, comprehensiveness, and integration. It encompasses seven environmental pillars: greenhouse gas emissions, noise, biodiversity, waste management, energy and water efficiency, and climate change response. The program includes a series of initiatives, sub-programs, targets, and performance indicators developed and approved by the aviation sector. These elements are designed to ensure national targets are met and international obligations are fulfilled within a specific time frame, leveraging various enablers from both the government and private sectors.

The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), represented by its Beneficiary Care Center, has received two prestigious international awards at the annual Contact Center World conference in London, UK. GACA took home the "Gold" award for Best Customer Service and the "Silver" for Best Government Contact Center, competing alongside numerous government agencies and companies from around the globe. Director of the Communication Channels Department at GACA, Meshail Al-Mofawez, highlighted that these achievements underscore GACA's commitment to delivering high-quality services and enhancing beneficiary experiences. The awards reflect the authority's dedication to continuously improving service standards and achieving the highest levels of customer satisfaction. Al-Mofawez noted that GACA's success in earning these awards is due to its commitment to international best practices and quality standards, ensuring that services are provided to beneficiaries with efficiency and excellence.

The Deputy CEO of Air Transport and International Cooperation at the General Authority of Civil Aviation, Mr. Ali bin Mohammed Rajab, signed an agreement today regarding air transport services between the governments of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Kosovo. The Republic of Kosovo was represented by His Excellency the Minister of Environment, Spatial Planning, and Infrastructure, Mr. Libern Aliu. Also present were His Excellency the Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah; the Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to the Republic of Albania, non-resident in the Republic of Kosovo, Faisal bin Ghazi Hafizi; and the Ambassador of the Republic of Kosovo to the Kingdom, Mr. Lulzim Mijko. The signing took place during an official visit by a delegation led by His Excellency the Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, to the Republic of Kosovo. The agreement aims to enhance cooperation in the field of air transport services and to establish regulatory frameworks for safe and organized between the two countries. The agreement aligns with the objectives of Saudi Arabia’s aviation sector strategy, which focuses on building international partnerships, signing new bilateral agreements, and expanding the operational network of national carriers. It further aims to position Saudi Arabia as a global logistics center in line Vision 2030, strengthening the Kingdom’s air connectivity to reach 250 global destinations, tripling the number of passengers to 330 million, and increasing air cargo capacity to reach 4.5 million tons annually by 2030.

The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) issued a report on the statistics of the Beneficiary Care Center from the beginning of the year to the third quarter of 2024. The report revealed that the center handled 220,537 interactions through communication channels, including 113,224 calls received via the unified number, 19,337 messages via e-mail, 13,127 direct conversations via the X platform, 48,765 interactions via the website, 25,707 automated and direct conversations via WhatsApp, in addition to 377 interactions conducted in sign language. The Beneficiary Care Center operates according to the highest quality standards. The average response speed to the customer is 5 seconds, with an average call duration of 3 minutes and 35 seconds. The percentage of lost calls stands at just 1% of total interactions, as all requests received by the center are followed up. A team of ambitious professionals from the nation work within the Beneficiary Care Center. The center serves the deaf through video calls, and all services are provided in sign language, ensuring direct interaction with service representatives. These interactions occur within a secure channel that maintains their privacy, addresses their needs, and includes their feedback through a customer satisfaction survey at the end of each interaction. The General Authority of Civil Aviation aims to enhance communication with travelers through various channels, ensuring their satisfaction with 24/7 availability. The Beneficiary Care Center is committed to strengthening the Authority's supervisory role by utilizing advanced technologies to monitor all operational processes and interactions continuously. It also analyzes data and beneficiary feedback to track performance standards across all channels. Notably, last September, the Authority's Beneficiary Care Center was awarded the Saudi Quality Certificate "Hayak" issued by the Saudi Standards, Metrology, and Quality Organization. This recognition highlights the center’s excellence in applying the highest quality standards in line with quality management systems for serving beneficiaries in various facilities.

The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has authorized German airline Eurowings to operate regular passenger flights between Saudi Arabia and Germany. Flights from Cologne to Jeddah will begin on November 5 and from Berlin to Jeddah on November 6, operating three times weekly throughout the winter season. This initiative by GACA aims to strengthen Saudi Arabia's global air connectivity in line with Vision 2030's goal of establishing Saudi Arabia as a global logistics hub and expanding travel options. This agreement also aligns with the objectives of the National Aviation Strategy.