A British aviation group of companies attend an airport seminar under the leadership of Alan Lamond, chairman of the British Aviation Group, with 9 representatives of different British aviation companies at Le Meridien Hotel Jeddah. Organized by British Consulate Jeddah on Tuesday, the British Aviation Group came with the aim of establishing excellent relationships and enhancing the friendship of the two countries. The discussion focused on several opportunities in trade and investment beneficial to both countries. “This is a great opportunity for us to be here as this is a follow up of our previous British aviation mission which came a couple of years ago, since then we were working on some of the projects and had made very strong and long-term relationships with our Saudi partners,” said Lamond. “We are very keen to make sure that we can make opportunities and assist in all the projects in the early stages and Saudi market is more then the primary projects which people associate with Riyadh and Jeddah, the Saudi market has major opportunities for many players in the aviation market,” he noted. The major opportunities at the moment are King Abdul Aziz Airport which represents massive airport development and got terminal proposal of some 670,000 sq meters, so it would be a major international airport. “It's being designed to completely transform passengers experience to very latest and highest standard so there is huge investment available,” he further said. “There is a huge challenge for the British Aviation Group members to be able to find right ways to assist their Saudi counterparts in a rapid development projects,” he said. “The British Aviation Group has keen interest in the Saudi market as Saudi market has dynamic and fantastic opportunities ahead,” he added. Lamond also said the British Aviation Group, with almost 200 members, has the best and experienced aviation consultants, best aviation suppliers and innovative ways of serving in airport projects. “We have vast number of expertise providing system through the airport projects design, construction and ongoing operations, so it would be their best and tremendous experience which we want to share with Saudis,” he said Dr. Ali Al Zahrani, director of corporate planning at General Authorities of Civil Aviation said it was a great opportunity for them to have British Aviation Group once again after 2-years of successful business with British companies as they have no doubt of the great interest of the UK and other companies in the world. “In the past 5-years we established a transformation program to transform the government agencies in to independent agencies and that would be able to develop airport and aviation sectors,” he said. Zahrani “We planned a huge development at all the 28 airports in Saudi Arabia, but 4 of them are the mega development projects and 3 of them will be launched this year. We have plan for King Abdul Aziz Airport with new terminal for almost 50 million passengers, complete new airport in Madina with terminal, runways and facilities,” he said. “We open the opportunities for private sector here in Saudi Arabia and we are also dealing with international companies in the airport projects who are ready to give their best experience in developing these projects. We have no doubt after a long experience with British companies, that they have certain products and skills in terms of technology, designs and other facilities,” he added.
