World aviation leaders will gather in Riyadh for the first-ever Saudi Aviation Forum of the Future. The two-day event, which begins on May 9, will bring together government and business leaders, international leaders and regulators. Purpose — define the path forward for international air travel and offer cutting-edge solutions in a post-pandemic world.
Hosted by the General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA), the Forum will feature more than 120 speakers and is expected to attend over 2,000 participants and representatives from all over the world. continents. There will be 40 sessions dedicated to three main thematic areas: passenger experience, sustainability and business recovery after COVID-19.
“The upcoming Aviation Forum will be a turning point for the entire industry. We will bring together the brightest minds from around the world to come up with concrete solutions: how the sector can recover from the pandemic, change the quality of the passenger experience and invest in innovations that will reduce carbon emissions and reduce environmental impact”, — said Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, Minister of Health of Saudi Arabia.
The transport and logistics sector in Saudi Arabia, which is one of the main elements of the Vision 2030 economic transformation plan, is developing rapidly. The Kingdom intends to raise 356 billion Saudi Riyals — just under $100 billion — in the form of investments in its aviation sector by 2030 to turn Saudi Arabia into a global aviation hub. GACA's National Aviation Industry Strategy (NASS) aims to increase air traffic to 250 destinations, covering 330 million passengers, and doubling cargo transportation to 4.5 million tonnes.
The Kingdom is also planning to launch a new national airline in addition to existing national carriers Saudia, Flynas and Flyadeal, and to build a new major international airport in Riyadh in addition to eight new regional airports.
As part of a broad transformation of its aviation sector, Saudi Arabia is moving to corporatize their airports. The newly formed Airports Cluster 2 will manage 22 airports, bringing construction, operations and management oversight under one roof. The goal is to improve service, integrate the best international practices in airport management and increase competitiveness. Investment and commercial opportunities in this sector, including airports, cargo transportation, catering, maintenance and ground services, will be open to both local and foreign investors in the near future.
