GACA Concludes Participation in ICAN 2024 in Malaysia with 15 Air Transport Agreements

October 25, 2024

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented by the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), today concluded its participation in the International Civil Aviation Negotiation Event (ICAN 2024).

 Organized by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) from October 21-25 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the event included representatives from over 80 countries and several international organizations. GACA President Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Duailej led the Kingdom's delegation.

 During ICAN 2024, GACA signed 15 agreements and memoranda of understanding with various countries in the field of air services to enhance bilateral cooperation in air transport and expand the network of connections. More than 30 bilateral meetings were held throughout the event.

 Among the signed agreements were eight memoranda of understanding and minutes of discussions aimed at improving cooperation between the Kingdom and several participating countries in air transport. These included agreements with Uzbekistan, Suriname, Belarus, Cuba, Türkiye, Liberia, and Brunei Darussalam. A memorandum of understanding was also signed with Mongolia, addressing a draft bilateral agreement on air services.

 ICAN 2024 featured numerous bilateral meetings where the president of GACA engaged with leaders of civil aviation authorities from around the world. He met with heads and officials of delegations from Seychelles, Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Liberia. The discussions covered various topics related to the event and opportunities to strengthen economic ties and collaboration in air transport.

 The agenda also included a memorandum of discussion with the United States signed by GACA Executive Vice President for Air Transport and International Cooperation Ali bin Mohammed Rajab.

 Also signed were a draft protocol to amend the Air Services Agreement, a memorandum of understanding in air transport with South Africa, and a memorandum of discussion with Latvia.

 Furthermore, an Air Services Agreement was signed with Guinea, alongside additional meetings with delegations from the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, the Sultanate of Oman, the Dominican Republic, the Netherlands, Russia, India, Ethiopia, and Austria, focusing on ways to enhance cooperation in civil aviation.

 The GACA delegation held separate bilateral meetings with Jamaica, Kuwait, and India, resulting in signed minutes of consultations to boost cooperation in air transport. A meeting with representatives from the Republic of Korea was also conducted to discuss various topics and collaboration opportunities in civil aviation.

 These agreements and memoranda of understanding are designed to support the strategic objectives of the civil aviation sector by building international partnerships that aim to enhance the Kingdom's air connectivity with the world to 250 destinations, transform it into a global logistics platform, and facilitate the transportation of 330 million passengers annually by 2030.