Under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, Saudi Arabia will launch the Future Aviation Forum, which is organized by the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) during the period from May 9-11, 2022 in the capital city of Riyadh. The Minister of Transport and Logistics Services and Chairman of the Board of Directors of GACA Eng. Saleh Bin Nasser Al-Jasser expressed his thanks and gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for his generous sponsorship of the Future Aviation Forum. He also extended his thanks and appreciation to Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, deputy prime minister and minister of defense for his continuous support and follow-up. He noted the continuous support and great interest that the Transport and Logistics Sector receives from the wise leadership, which contributes to achieving the goals of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 and the advancement of sector. Eng. Al-Jasser explained that the conference achieves one of the objectives of the National Aviation Sector Strategy (NASS) emanating from the National Strategy for Transport and Logistics Services to become an integrated and unique global Forum that provides huge investment opportunities, taking advantage of the Kingdom's distinguished strategic location among the three continents, which enhances its attractiveness as a global logistics platform. Eng. Al-Jasser said: "We plan that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will be a global aviation hub with investments of $100 billion by the year 2030 and for the establishment of a new mega airport in Riyadh, in addition to eight other airports distributed in the regions throughout the Kingdom. "This includes four airports in partnership with the private sector, and the launch of a new national flag carrier to enhance the movement of air transport, while GACA's National Aviation Sector Strategy vision aims to double the capacity and reach 330 million passengers, from more than 250 destinations worldwide, and for air cargo to reach 4.5 million tons of goods." Meanwhile, GACA President Abdulaziz Bin Abdullah Al-Duailej, stated that the Future Aviation Forum provides the opportunity to participate in the world of aviation in the Kingdom amid unprecedented opportunities, after the rapid developments witnessed by the sector to be a global aviation hub, and the most prominent in the Middle East. A sector that focuses on three main themes: "Innovation, Growth and Sustainability". He indicated that the Forum encourages business opportunities, the participation in global efforts to develop the air transport industry and the formulation of policies and regulations, in line with global developments and trends. In addition to its special focus on innovation, which plays a pivotal role in the competitiveness of the sector, as well as on growth and sustainability from an economic and environmental point of view. He added: "From this standpoint, we invite the main and active parties in the aviation sector to visit the Kingdom and participate in finding solutions that contribute to the sector's prosperity in the coming years." He added, "The sector is undergoing changes that emphasize the importance of global cooperation in civil aviation, and that he is looking forward to achieving the objectives of the Forum and meet of the most of its prominent leaders to participate in its agendas and enable collaborative work to support in achieving ambitions and innovations and develop the necessary policies to ensure a promising future for the sector." For his part, ICAO Council President Salvatore Schiacchitano stressed that the Future Aviation Forum comes at a critical time for the global aviation sector. He said: "Global cooperation across the aviation sector is needed now more than ever. We must work together to build greater resilience in the face of future health crises, to rethink and modernize every step of the passenger journey, and to ensure aviation sustainability in the face of the climate emergency." He added, "I look forward to the coming together of the industry's top leaders at the Aviation Future Conference in Riyadh, where we can collaborate to drive the ambition, innovation and policymaking necessary to ensure a promising future for the industry." It is worth noting that the Future Aviation Forum will be launched in the presence of prominent representatives of the civil aviation sector from around the world and high-level civil aviation leaders from various countries and organizations, as well as CEOs of a number of international air transport companies, and a group of businessmen. The Forum will include more than 120 speakers, participating in 40 sessions held over the span of three days to discuss the future of aviation. — SPA
