News

The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) concluded its participation in the World Logistics Forum 2024, held from October 12-14, 2024. The forum, organized by the Ministry of Transport and Logistics Services brought together more than 100 speakers, including experts, industry pioneers, sector leaders, and representatives from both government and the private sector. The event took place at the King Abdullah Financial Center in Riyadh.

During the forum, GACA showcased the objectives of its ambitious sector strategy, which aims to increase air cargo capacity from 0.8 million tons in 2023 to 4.5 million tons by 2030. This initiative seeks to position the Kingdom a key link in global supply chains, by investing $100 billion in modernizing aviation infrastructure and leveraging Saudi Arabia’s strategic location at the crossroads of three continents.

Dialogue Sessions and Highlights

His Excellency Mr. Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Duailej, President of GACA, participated in a panel discussion on the role of air freight in enhancing Saudi Arabia’s leadership in the global logistics sector. He emphasized the importance of the aviation sector strategy in addressing global logistics challenges and the role of Riyadh’s integrated logistics zoneand other zones in advancing the Kingdom’s comprehensive logistics vision.

In another dialogue session focused on air freight developments, Afnan Khaled Al-Haboudel, Director General of Special Economic Zones at GACA, joined a panel of experts to discuss the latest trends and best practices for enhancing air freight standards.

Licensing of Global Companies

As part of its efforts to attract global companies to the integrated logistics zone in Riyadh, GACA granted four commercial licenses to international firms specializing in innovative technology, artificial intelligence, logistics services, and e-commerce. These licenses were presented in the presence of His Excellency Mr. Al-Duailej.

GACA, represented by Executive Vice President for Economic Policies and Logistics, Awad bin Atallah Al-Salmi, awarded licenses to:

- Sapphire: A strategic investment by a machinery company.

- Bahri Logistics Services Company: To provide logistics services for Boeing’s aircraft spare parts.

- Danfoss (Denmark): To conduct light manufacturing operations.

- Shein: To establish a distribution center in the integrated logistics zone, positioning it as a regional hub serving the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

Forum Objectives

The World Logistics Forum aims to:

- Enhance the efficiency of the logistics sector and promote economic growth.

- Strengthen local, regional, and international connectivity within global trade networks and supply chains.

- Foster public-private partnerships to boost collaboration and job creation.

- Position Saudi Arabia as a global logistics hub, in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.