RIYADH: The Future Aviation Forum, which opened in Saudi Arabia, will bring together 2,000 people.
The two-day event, held in Riyadh, will host leaders from the public and commercial sectors, as well as CEOs and international regulators. The aviation sector indeed aims to address post-pandemic issues and define future international air travel.
The forum, organized by the General Authority of Civil Aviation, also known as “Gaca”, will feature more than 120 speakers.
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Concerns related to the current crisis: Addressing Arab News On the sidelines of the event, Jean-Marc Bourreau, Partner at Consulum Aviation, clarified that the global effect of the pandemic has shaped the design of Saudi Arabia’s new global air travel policy.
“This is what will feed Vision 2030. How can we talk about the future in 2030, if we are not able to propose solutions to get out of the current crisis”, added Bourreau.
Chinese impact: The aviation sector has seen a slowdown due to China’s zero Covid policy, which is impossible to achieve, according to the director general of the International Air Transport Association, Willie Walsh.
Walsh said soaring energy prices were one of the toughest challenges facing the aviation sector as it tries to emerge from the economic crisis caused by the pandemic.
Vision 2030: Saudi Arabia is striving to establish a strong aviation ecosystem, as it plans to play a role as a regional hub, in line with Vision 2030, said Raid Ishmael, co-head of Middle East and North Africa Investment, as well as the Kingdom’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).
“From a commercial aviation perspective, there are many opportunities with the new carrier in Riyadh. The most important is the ecosystem that surrounds it. To have a strong ecosystem and a multiplier effect, to ensure that we will end up with a leading hub in the region,” Ismaël argued.
Future fuel: Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman has said low-carbon fuel for aviation could become the transition fuel of the future.
The Minister indicated that sustainable development cannot be achieved by relying solely on biofuels. He made it clear that all options, including hydrogen, should be considered to ensure a better low-carbon future.
Special Riyadh Zone: In a bid to attract more multinational companies in the logistics and freight sector, the Saudi General Civil Aviation Authority has started work on a special economic zone in Riyadh.
The president of the Gaca, Abdelaziz ben Abdallah al-Douailej, specified that this new special zone will have economic and legislative devices likely to create in the future more multinational entities.
New national airline: Saudi Arabia aims to secure 100 billion dollars (one dollar = 0.94 euros) investment in the aviation sector by the end of this decade, Saudi Transport Minister Saleh said al-Jasser, during the inaugural ceremony of the forum.
He also indicated that the Saudi government has ambitious plans to launch a new national carrier that could become one of the best in the world in the coming years.
New travel regulations: In an effort to facilitate international air travel, Saudi Arabia has announced a new global air travel policy.
This new scheme should simplify international travel, avoiding the confusion over travel requirements that currently discourage millions of people from booking flights.
This text is the translation of an article published on Arabnews.com