Connect with Saudi Arabian Civil Aviation leaders in Miami on February 11

 

Saudi Arabia is committed to transforming itself into a transportation, logistics and tourism hub. This is creating business opportunities for U.S. companies across the aviation industry from airport development to aviation-related equipment, technology and services. Saudi civil aviation leaders will present business opportunities being created by this transformation to U.S. companies at a seminar in Miami, Florida on February 11. (See details below)

 

Fast Facts on the Saudi aviation industry:

 

• Saudi Arabia has a network of 27 airports, 10 of which are international, that handled 91.8 million passengers in 2017. An estimated 78 million passengers were international.
• There are five Saudi Airlines — Saudia, Flynas, Nesma Airlines, Saudi Gulf, and Flyadeal. 105 airlines service the market.
• The Saudi Government has increased transportation and infrastructure spending by 50 percent over the past two years. Since 2017, over $16.7 billion was allocated for aviation projects. For more fast facts click here.

 

GACA Driving Development

 

The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), the equivalent of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), acts as the operational and governing body for the Saudi civil aviation industry. The authority oversees safety regulations, air navigation services, and airport operations, and administers licensing for air transport activity and support services.

 

GACA is currently implementing a comprehensive strategy for the aviation sector, viewed as an integrated system of air carriers, airports, industries, and support services.

 

 

Opportunities from Privatization

 

The privatization of Saudi airports and government-run services is part of a larger effort to privatize economic sectors countrywide.  GACA is considering several methods to privatize the airports.  These include transforming each airport into a holding company and signing contracts with specialized companies for airport operation and maintenance, and operating airports on a build, operate and transfer (BOT) system.  The BOT was used for regional airports in the cities of Madinah, Taif, Hail, Qassim, and Yanbu. Other domestic airports are ready to be tendered while additional airports, along with airport cities, are under development.

 

Privatization of Saudi airports is expected to lead to enhanced passenger airport experience (SMART Airport), a more sophisticated digital infrastructure to enable seamless passenger transit, and increased workforce productivity with mobility access to data and self-service.  Targets through 2030 include development of new cargo terminals, multimodal cargo villages, and hubs, and an increase of the number of cargo airline operators in the Kingdom. The Kingdom is planning to transform King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, the energy epicenter of the country, into a regional cargo hub.

 

Digital Transformation

 

GACA aims to support the aviation industry development through technological innovation.  A wide variety of technologies to enhance airport traffic management, upgrade airport services, and optimize performance are in demand.  They are related to increasing airport safety, security, and efficiency using IOT solutions, big data, digital and cyber security tools, machine learning and AI applications.  Other areas of interest include mobile services, digital airport platforms to enable innovative omni-channel services, lost baggage trackers, departure management systems, mobile resource management tools, integrated real-time control and BI systems, retail revenue trackers, fiber optics, and data centers.

 

Workforce Development

 

The Saudi Academy of Civil Aviation, whose training centers are approved by GACA and the International Aviation Organization, seeks to develop new training curricula to upskill the sectoral workforce.  It currently offers diplomas in airport operations, aviation maintenance centers, air traffic control and security.

 

 

Other Business Opportunities

 

Suppliers of services such as project management, design, and built, operators of airports and aircrafts, and providers of baggage handling systems, airside and air navigation equipment will find Saudi Arabia a lucrative market.  Additionally, there are opportunities related to cargo concessions in airports (cargo terminals, express, freight forwarding, logistics warehouses, and bonded zones) as well as concessions, licenses, and service agreements for car parking systems and technologies, ground handling (air conditioning, baggage handling, electrical power), catering, duty free, facilities management and airport security (access control systems, visual surveillance systems, identity management systems, screening devices and multi stage inspection systems).

 

How to Connect

 

To support GACA’s initiatives, the U.S.-Saudi Arabian Business Council is hosting a business opportunities seminar on February 11, 2019 in Miami, Florida.  The event is supported by PartsBase.

 

His Excellency Abdulhakim Al Tamimi who serves as the President of GACA, a position similar to that of Dan Elwell, Acting Administrator, FAA, will discuss the aviation sector strategy according to the Saudi Vision 2030.  Senior GACA leaders will deliver presentations on Saudi airport projects and opportunities to participate in the privatization process and impact passenger experience via digital transformation.  The GACA team will be available for meetings in the afternoon.

 

The event is free of charge.  For more information and to register, please visit www.us-sabc.org.