JEDDAH: Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa on Thursday visited the Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) pavilion at the Bahrain International Air Show 2018. The king was accompanied by Chechnya’s president, Ramzan Kadyrov.
SAMI’s team gave a detailed presentation on the achievements and future plans of Saudi Arabia’s military industries. Initiatives launched by SAMI to develop the sector are part of efforts to realize Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s goal of localizing 50 percent of Saudi military spending by 2030.
King Hamad and Kadyrov were shown the first model of the Avante 2200 corvette. Five Avante 2200 corvettes and combat management systems are being built for the Saudi Ministry of Defense.
The king praised SAMI’s rapid success, and expressed his admiration for the achievements and development projects of the military and air industries in Saudi Arabia.
The three-day show, held under the patronage of King Hamad, runs until Friday at the Sakhir Air Base in southern Bahrain. It was officially opened by Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, the king’s personal representative and chairman of the event’s organizing committee.
SAMI CEO Dr. Andreas Schwer said: “Our participation in the Bahrain International Air Show is aimed at highlighting SAMI’s growing military capabilities and showcasing our achievements in enhancing self-sufficiency in defense capabilities.”
“We are keen to take advantage of the unique opportunities offered by the show, and the promising investment prospects in Saudi Arabia’s booming military industries, in order to support the Kingdom’s vision of localizing more than 50 percent of military-equipment spending by 2030.”
Civil aviation
Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation also signed a strategic partnership agreement with technology company Taqnia Space with the aim of developing cooperation in a number of areas and strengthening Saudi Arabia’s position in the field of aviation, regionally and internationally, in accordance with Vision 2030.
The agreement was co-signed by the authority’s chairman, Abdul Hakim Al-Tamimi, and Taqnia Space CEO Abdullah Al-Osaimi, on the sidelines of the airshow.
GACA has partnered with Taqnia Space to issue licenses for the installation of satellite communication systems on civil aircraft in the Middle East and North Africa, similar to the licenses issued by international organizations, and organize international expos in Saudi Arabia where passengers can try out new in-flight satellite and entertainment services.
Al-Osaimi said that this will create business opportunities and strengthen the Kingdom’s position in these specialized fields that offer advanced technologies related to civil aviation safety.
He added: “The UON pilot service was launched last week on a Saudi Arabian Airlines flight from Riyadh to Geneva. This service, which will be available for passengers in the next few days, offers high-speed internet, and 3G and 4G services, in addition to live television broadcasts.”
Al-Tamimi said that the importance of the agreement lies in its contribution to promoting the construction of modern air-transport systems and infrastructure, and the development of effective procedures and practices to ensure a high-quality and safe flight environment that will make the authority a leader in civil aviation at the regional and international levels.
The agreement will help to achieve the aims of Vision 2030 and support the objectives of the National Transformation Program (NTP) 2020 through the development of aviation services to ensure excellence of performance, he added.
Role of Saudi Arabian Military Industries to enrich Kingdom’s defense capabilities hailed
Role of Saudi Arabian Military Industries to enrich Kingdom’s defense capabilities hailed
- The king praised SAMI’s rapid success, and expressed his admiration for the achievements
- Al-Osaimi: The UON pilot service was launched last week on a Saudi Arabian Airlines flight from Riyadh to Geneva
Saudi tourism minister urges governments to ease travel barriers amid global tensions
- Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb said visa restrictions and connectivity were major hurdles disrupting global movement, urging more frequent flights to smaller destinations
- Panel examined key challenges facing the $10 trillion global travel industry, including rising geopolitical tensions, climate volatility, artificial intelligence and growing cyber risks
DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s tourism minister, Ahmed Al-Khateeb, has said travel should be made more accessible and flexible as it fosters dialogue and peace at a time when geopolitical tensions are prompting governments to impose stricter visa restrictions.
He was speaking during a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, which examined the key challenges facing the $10 trillion global travel industry. These include rising geopolitical tensions, climate volatility, artificial intelligence and growing cyber risks.
“Tourism brings peace at a time where everybody wants to hear about peace. It connects people, encourages dialogue, creates economies, and serves smaller economies like Africa, Latin America, the Pacific and the Caribbean countries,” said Al-Khateeb.
His remarks come as the US has tightened visa and immigration policies, affecting nationals from dozens of countries, and as anti-tourism protests have surfaced in parts of Europe amid mounting concerns over overtourism in major destinations.
He highlighted Saudi Arabia’s achievements in tourism, saying the sector has created 250,000 jobs in the last five years and boosted female participation to 47 percent, exceeding the global average of 45 percent. He highlighted the Kingdom’s focus on building new airports and expanding existing ones, as well as boosting the hotel sector to cater for 150 million travelers by 2030.
The sector’s contribution to the economy has grown from about 3 percent in 2020 to 5 percent today, with plans to raise that figure to between 8 and 10 percent by 2030.
With travel and tourism accounting for around 10 percent of global GDP, Al-Khateeb said that raising the sector’s contribution in Saudi Arabia would strengthen the Kingdom’s economy, make it more resilient and sustainable, and “allow us to share our beautiful culture with the world.”
He said visa restrictions and connectivity were major hurdles disrupting global movement, urging more frequent flights to smaller destinations to diversify traveler experiences and expand economies beyond major hubs.
With panelists citing last year’s anti-tourism protests in Spain and Mexico, Al-Khateeb said overtourism, already a challenge in some cities, will worsen as the UN projects an increase in the number of global travelers from 1.5 billion to 2 billion by 2050. He therefore urged governments to promote smaller cities and spread tourism beyond traditional hotspots to boost economic growth and create more jobs.
Expressing similar sentiments, Martin Eurnekian, CEO of Corporacion America International, linked economic growth to travel and said travel deregulation in the past had boosted European economies.
“Our history shows when growth was accelerated and these were the cases where the (travel) industry was set free,” said Eurnekian, adding geopolitical tensions and economic regulations were exacting a heavy cost on the industry.
“This is an industry based on freedom and globalization and if we lose sight of that we can really hurt the industry,” he added.
Cara Morton, CEO of global businesses and operations and a member of the executive committee at Zurich Insurance Group, said “disruption is now the norm,” citing an in-house assessment that found 80 percent of 4,000 business travelers experienced some form of disruption during their journeys.
She highlighted the role of artificial intelligence in steering people to new, less crowded destinations: “Obviously that will require governments to then make sure that those places have got the right infrastructure, but we will be able to see wealth distributed more equally. So the key is how we use AI in this area.”
Al-Khateeb said that while AI can enhance traveler experience, it should not replace human interaction.
“We will use tech when it isn’t necessary … such as using AI (for passengers to) move fast and finish their biometrics, but when you go to destination, you want to be served by humans not machines.”
He highlighted global travel trends, including the growing role of airports as destinations in their own right, driven by retail and food and beverage offerings, as well as the rapid rise of wellness tourism.
“Travel interacts with a wide range of sectors from aviation and airports to mobility, transportation, hotels, retail, and entertainment,” said Al-Khateeb.
