Prime Highlights:

• Saudi Arabia signs a memorandum of understanding with Boeing to boost advanced air mobility and modernize the aviation sector.
• Riyadh Air, the Kingdom’s second national airline, is set to begin operations this year, creating major opportunities in aviation.

Key Facts:

• Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 aims to attract 150 million visitors annually by 2030 and increase the aviation sector’s contribution to GDP to over 10 percent.
• Riyadh Air is expected to add over $20 billion to the non-oil GDP and create more than 200,000 direct and indirect jobs.

Key Background:

Saudi Arabia has taken a major step to modernize its aviation sector by signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with US aircraft maker Boeing. The agreement, signed in Washington, D.C., involved a delegation from the Kingdom’s civil aviation sector, led by Abdulaziz Al-Duailej, president of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA).

The partnership is part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which aims to make the country a global center for business, tourism, and aviation. Saudi Arabia’s tourism plan aims to welcome 150 million visitors each year by 2030 and boost the aviation sector’s share of the country’s economy to more than 10 percent.

Sulaiman Al-Muhaimidi, GACA’s executive vice president for Aviation Safety and Environmental Sustainability, said the partnership with Boeing shows Saudi Arabia’s dedication to safer and more efficient skies and helps the country lead in the future of aviation.

During their visit to the United States, the Saudi delegation toured Boeing’s headquarters and the Dreamliner assembly facility in Charleston, South Carolina, and met with representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration. The meetings were devoted to airline activities, aircraft production, maintenance, environmental friendliness, new technology, and knowledge exchange to develop the local aviation sector.

The partnership comes as Saudi Arabia continues to expand its national carriers. Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia’s second national airline, is set to start flying before the end of this year. The airline has already ordered multiple Boeing 787 Dreamliners and announced plans to purchase up to 50 Airbus A350 aircraft, with deliveries starting in 2030. Riyadh Air is expected to add over $20 billion to Saudi Arabia’s non-oil GDP and create more than 200,000 jobs, both directly and indirectly.

Al-Duailej said the MoU with Boeing strengthens Saudi Arabia’s international aviation connections and supports Vision 2030 by improving travel links across three continents. With new airlines, large aircraft orders, and a focus on innovation and sustainability, the Kingdom is set to create major opportunities in aviation.