Saudi Arabia: With international air travel having resumed post-pandemic, Saudi Arabia will host the inaugural Future Aviation Forum on May 9.

The two-day event in Riyadh will unite leaders from the public and business sectors with international CEOs and regulators, as the aviation industry aims to resolve post-pandemic issues and shape future international air travel.

The forum hosted by the General Authority of Civil Aviation, also known as GACA, will feature more than 120 speakers, with over 2,000 attendees and representatives from various countries.

“The Future Aviation Forum will be a pivotal moment for the global aviation sector,”  said Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, Saudi Arabia’s minister of transport and logistics.

He added: “We will bring together the brightest minds from around the world to forge solutions for how the sector can recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, transform the passenger experience, and invest in innovations that will lower carbon emissions and reduce environmental impact.”

Saudi Arabia is hosting the Future Aviation Forum at a time when the Kingdom is planning to launch a new national airline to complement its existing national carriers, Saudia, Flynas and Flyadeal.

The Kingdom also plans to build a major new international airport in Riyadh, in addition to eight new regional airports.

Salvatore Sciacchitano, president of the International Civil Aviation Organization, said: “I look forward to the coming together of the industry’s top leaders in Riyadh at the Future Aviation Forum, where we can collaborate to drive the ambition, innovation and policymaking needed to ensure a promising future for the industry.”

GACA President Abdulaziz Al-Duailej noted that the Future Aviation Forum will facilitate business deals and mobilize the investment needed to propel the industry into the future.

“The Future Aviation Forum is an opportunity to participate from the outset in Saudi Arabia’s rapid emergence as the Middle East’s preeminent aviation hub.”