SAUDI ARABIA. A new international travel policy developed in Saudi Arabia has received widespread approval from aviation stakeholders attending this month’s first-ever Future Aviation Forum in Riyadh on 9-11 May.
The Harmonizing Air Travel policy has been devised by Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), which hosted the Forum in cooperation with the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
The new framework is designed to make international journeys simpler, by avoiding confusion over travel requirements – exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic – which are believed to be discouraging millions of people from booking flights.
The Future Aviation Forum in Riyadh featured over 120 speakers and 40 sessions, focusing on three core thematic pillars: passenger experience, sustainability, and business recovery post-COVID
Speaking to Arab News, Jean-Marc Bourreau, Managing Partner at advisory firm Concorde Aviation Intelligence Resources, said the new policy will propose solutions to the current crisis, and will fuel Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.
He said: “The policy is about the harmonisation of air travel, which means that instead of thinking of each country, communicating on its own regarding health requirements for travel, let’s put together a platform that will allow the swift communication between all countries regarding what the requirements are.
Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation, headquartered in Riyadh, is driving the Kingdom’s ambitions for exponential tourism growth (Image: GACA)
“You will not have to go again to a large number of websites or platforms or information, because everything will be there.”
The Future Aviation Forum brought together influential figures from the public and business sectors, international CEOs, and regulators with the aim of shaping the evolution of international air travel and drive solutions in a post-pandemic world.
Saudi Arabia’s transport and logistics sector, a major pillar of the Vision 2030 economic transformation plan, is undergoing rapid development. The Kingdom aims to generate SAR356 billion (just under US$100 billion) in aviation sector investment by 2030 to make Saudi Arabia a global aviation hub.
GACA’s National Aviation Sector Strategy aims to increase air connectivity to 250 destinations, reaching 330 million passengers, and to double air cargo capacity to 4.5 million tonnes.
Recent record duty free sales at King Khalid International Airport underline the huge potential of Saudi Arabia’s travel-related business sectors
The Kingdom also has plans to launch a new national airline to complement its existing national carriers, Saudia, Flynas and Flyadeal. It will also build a major new international airport in Riyadh, in addition to eight regional airports.
Saudi Arabia is also moving towards corporatising its airports, as part of the broader transformation of its aviation sector. Earlier this year, GACA and Matarat Holding Company announced the completion of an institutional transformation of 25 of the Kingdom’s airports.
This included the creation of the Airports Cluster 2 Company, which will manage and operate 22 airports. It is set to bring oversight for construction, operation and management under one roof.
The goal is to improve service, integrate international best practices in airport management and increase competitiveness. Investment and commercial opportunities in the sector, including airports, freight, catering, maintenance and ground services, will be opened to local and foreign investors in the near future.
GACA President Abdulaziz Al-Duailej said: “The scale of opportunity for the aviation world in Saudi Arabia is unprecedented.”
Note: The Moodie Davitt Report Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie is visiting Saudia Arabia over coming days to discover more about this exciting growth market. He is meeting senior management from Riyadh Airports Company and attending the Future Hospitality Summit in Riyadh on 24-25 May.
The Saudi Travel Ecosystem Report, to be published by The Moodie Davitt Report in June/July in Arabic and English, will take a deep dive into one of the world’s most exciting, investment-heavy and resurgent travel-related markets. For details please contact Martin Moodie at Martin@MoodieDavittReport.com
