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Laws & RegulationsGACA holds its 12th steering committee meeting to activate the sector’s strategy
March 22, 2024
Yesterday, the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) held the 12th meeting of its Steering Committee, at the headquarters of the Chamber of Commerce in Medina, to launch the Saudi Aviation Strategy. His Excellency the President of GACA, Mr. Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Duailej headed the meeting. Others present included His Excellency the Assistant Minister of Transport and Logistics Services, Mr. Ahmed Al-Hassan, as well as vice presidents, CEOs, and other officials from national companies and carriers in the Kingdom’s civil aviation sector.
The GACA president explained during the meeting that the Saudi Aviation Strategy contributes to the goals of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, in terms of advancing and developing the sector towards the best results and achievements locally, regionally and internationally. The strategy reflects GACA’s role as a regulator of the sector, in setting a vision, as well as priorities, goals and direction, so that the sector can play a key role in the country’s economic development.
Al-Duailej added: “This meeting is also a platform to witness a prominent achievement, which is the announcement of the second phase of the Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport development and expansion project. The project aims to raise the airport’s capacity from 8 million passengers annually to 17 million by the end 2027, at a cost of up to 1.2 billion riyals.
This work is part of GACA’s efforts to achieve the objectives of the National Aviation Strategy related to airport development, focusing on developing airport infrastructure and operations, and increasing capacity for passengers and cargo facilities.
The meeting next reviewed the sector’s record numbers and unprecedented achievements in economic and social development in 2023, including the launch of a number of development projects. These include the launch of the general plan for King Salman International Airport in Riyadh, plans for Abha International Airport, the opening of the Red Sea International Airport, the establishment of Riyadh Airlines, the granting of a commercial license to the company, and the issuance of a national air carrier license at King Fahd Airport in Dammam.
Other achievements include the launch of economic policy regulations in the aviation sector, and the establishment of special logistics zones in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam, with the aim of providing an attractive market for investors and operators from all over the world. Such increased investment contributes to greater competitiveness and transparency. New regulations protecting the rights of travelers have also been introduced, with the goal of improving the quality of air transport services and improving the traveler experience.
The meeting touched upon other achievements of the aviation sector in the Kingdom, including the fact that the four main airports received 19 different awards for the second time in a row. Moreover, three of these airports were classified among the 50 best international airports in the “Skytrax” program, with King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh ranking 27th, King Abdulaziz Airport in Jeddah ranking 41st, and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam ranking 44th.
The meeting also addressed progress towards launching the Saudi Aviation Strategy, and what has been accomplished in this regard following the recommendations of the 11th Steering Committee meeting. Participants discussed the strategic achievements of national companies and carriers operating in the Kingdom’s airports, and their priorities, objectives, directions, and alignment with the sector’s strategy.
The Saudi Aviation Strategy aims to double the aviation sector’s current capacity by reaching more than 330 million passengers annually, with more than 250 destinations in the world, in addition to raising the cargo capacity to 4.5 million tons of cargo by the year 2030.