- The GACA delegation visited the FAA, Boeing, and the Dreamliner facility to discuss cooperation.
- MoU with Boeing focuses on sustainability and advanced air mobility innovation.
- Visit aligns with Vision 2030 to position Saudi Arabia as an aviation hub.
The aviation ties between Saudi Arabia and the United States were strengthened further as the President of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Duailej, and a group of the Authority's members visited the United States.
The group visited the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Boeing headquarters in Washington DC, along with the Dreamliner facility in Charleston, South Carolina, where they manufacture the 787 Dreamliner.
GCAA stated that many topics were discussed during the two-day visit, including collaboration on civil aviation, aircraft manufacturing and maintenance services, sustainability, and several advanced technology initiatives.
The purpose of the visit was to strengthen collaboration with the US in knowledge sharing, technology transfer, and aviation industry localisation, aligning with the kingdom’s ambition of transforming into a global industrial and logistics center in aviation as part of its economic diversification outlined in Vision 2030, it mentioned.
During the visit, the GACA team signed an MoU with Boeing at the firm’s headquarters in Washington DC concerning sustainability and advanced air mobility.
The document was signed by Captain Sulaiman Al Muhaimidi, GACA’s Executive Vice President for Aviation Safety and Environmental Sustainability, along with Asaad AlJomoai, the President of Boeing Saudi Arabia. The delegation took a tour of the 787 Dreamliner facility in Charleston, South Carolina, on the second day.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Al Duailej said, "By engaging with global aviation regulators and manufacturers, GACA is supporting Vision 2030 objectives to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s role as a hub connecting three continents, delivering greater connectivity and travel experiences for the Kingdom’s passengers.”
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“With new Saudi airlines being launched, record aircraft orders and a focus on innovation and sustainability, the visit highlights the unprecedented opportunities being created by the Kingdom and underscores the strong Saudi-US aviation partnership," he stated.
Al Muhaimidi said, "This partnership with Boeing reflects GACA’s commitment to creating safer, smarter skies through advanced air mobility innovation. The effort further cements Saudi Arabia at the forefront of the future of aviation.”
In Washington, the group on a visit met with FAA Deputy Administrator Chris Rocheleau. The meeting explored several aspects of collaboration including exchanging best practices in aviation safety, developing capacity programs for Saudi aviators and aircraft airworthiness engineers and inspectors, and supporting innovation in new domains such as advanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft systems.
They also explored ways to strengthen on the co-operation initiatives in a variety of areas such as air traffic management, development of infrastructure, safety standards, and, included references to the kingdom’s enablers, incentives, and regulations, to solicit investment into quality in the kingdom.