The President of Civil Aviation participates in Supply Chain and Logistics Services Conference

October 23, 2023

His Excellency, the President of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), Mr. Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Duailej, confirms that the Saudi Aviation Strategy, formed from the National Transport and Logistics Strategy, supports the Saudi Vision 2030 across many sectors including tourism, Hajj and Umrah, investment, nationalization, among other mega and giga development projects.

During the Supply Chain and Logistics Services Conference in Riyadh today, His Excellency explained that the civil aviation sector enjoys unlimited support from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

The dialogue session, “Developing a transportation system to grow the circular economy” was in line with the vision for radical transformation in the Saudi economy to diversify sources of income to achieve the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, which are compatible with the Saudi Aviation Strategy aimed at reaching a target of 330 million passengers across 250 international destinations, and to provide transport for 4.5 million tons of airfreight by 2030.

Transformation in the civil aviation sector include large scale projects from airports to air carriers, and various other aviation services, including, the announcement of the general plan for King Salman International Airport, the launch of the general plan for the new Abha Airport, the Red Sea International Airport and NEOM Bay International Airport. Other projects include the launch of the “Riyadh Air” company and the opening of the special integrated logistics zone which proposes to attract major international companies, granting them business licenses in the region, including Apple, Chalhoub Group, the American company, iHerb, and the Korean “CJ Logistics” company. The plan also includes an electronic platform to facilitate economic transactions and support a highly efficient and flexible logistics sector in the Kingdom, with more than 260 narrow-body aircraft in the coming years, and over 500 by 2030.

Recognizing the pivotal role of policies and regulations in shaping the future of aviation, the Authority is currently working on updating the sector’s economic policies that aim to enhance competitiveness, improve operational efficiency, and encourage investment, in addition to adopting the new regulation to protect travelers’ rights that will come into effect in November 2023 aimed at improve the experience of travelers in the Kingdom.

Al-Duailej stated that the GACA is contributing to the Kingdom’s transformation journey by achieving its strategic goals in line with the Saudi Vision 2030, by launching initiatives to support a sustainable circular economy, including: the Environmental Sustainability Program in the field of Saudi Civil Aviation (CAESP), to support the Kingdom’s ambitious goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2060 as its commitment to the strategic objectives of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). With its recent cooperation between NEOM and Volocopter, Saudi Arabia saw the first flight of an electric aircraft flight with its vertical take-off and landing, which reflects the Kingdom’s commitment to advancing air transport (AAM) in the region.

In the interest of encouraging diversification, investment and innovation in the aviation sector provides a competitive environment supported by new economic policy to promote growth, prosperity, and to create opportunities, in order to achieve the economic transformation goals for the Saudi Vision 2030.

The strategic initiatives launched by the General Authority of Civil Aviation represent practical steps towards a sustainable and prosperous circular economy in line with the Kingdom’s commitment to innovation.

During 2023, the GACA has acquired two out of the five busiest routes in the world viz. Cairo - Jeddah and Riyadh – Dubai, positioning the Kingdom firmly on the global aviation map through a series of prominent world class aviation events from the end of this year until 2024. These events include: the International Conference for Air Services Negotiations (ICAN2023), scheduled for December, which represents the largest gathering for air services in the world, with the participation of over 100 countries, alongside the Air Transport Forum of the Arab Civil Aviation Organization, the extraordinary meeting of the Executive Committee for Civil Aviation of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, the meeting of the Executive Council of the Civil Aviation Organization, and the second edition of the Future of Aviation Conference, scheduled in Riyadh from May 20 to 22, 2024. In addition, the annual general meeting (AGM) of the Airports Council International (ACI), will be held from May 21 to May 23, 2024, along with the Future of Aviation Conference, held at the same time, to form part of an exceptional aviation week in the capital, Riyadh. The events present a strategic opportunity for the Kingdom to strengthen its global partnerships, to enhance cooperation, exchange knowledge, and drive innovation, positioning the Kingdom as a leader in the field of aviation.

According to His Excellency, the General Authority of Civil Aviation continues its commitment to improving aviation standards, by issuing world-class policies and regulations, which not only supports the growth and performance of the sector, but also confirms the Saudi citizens’ confidence in the local aviation industry. A number of new initiatives will be announced during the coming period, to highlight the continued support for the Saudi aviation sector placing it firmly at the forefront of the global aviation.