GACA to highlight Saudi aviation sector opportunities at Dubai airshow

In its 18th year, the airshow will see participation from the air transport sector, national airlines and relevant institutions. File
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Updated 12 November 2023
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GACA to highlight Saudi aviation sector opportunities at Dubai airshow

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s relations with major international airlines in the aviation and space industry are set to prosper as the General Authority of Civil Aviation participates in the Dubai Airshow 2023.

In its 18th year, the airshow will see participation from the air transport sector, national airlines and relevant institutions. The large-scale event is scheduled to take place from Nov. 13-17, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The authority’s participation aims to develop new routes and introduce promising opportunities in the Saudi aviation sector within the National Aviation Strategy framework.

It also seeks to highlight the position of the civil aviation sector in the Kingdom as a critical component of the national economy.

In addition, it emphasizes the leadership role played by the authority in achieving the sector’s objectives aimed at doubling capacity and access to 330 million passengers annually from more than 250 destinations in the world.

This initiative also aligns with the strategy’s goal of increasing freight capacity to 4.5 million tons of goods.

The five-day event will discuss the latest trends, innovations, and solutions in the aviation industry, focusing on air and space mobility, sustainability, and advanced technologies.

More than 1,400 exhibitors from around 95 countries and more than 300 regional and international experts are projected to participate in the event.


Egypt aims to produce 100k vehicles annually under auto industry program 

Updated 6 sec ago
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Egypt aims to produce 100k vehicles annually under auto industry program 

RIYADH: Egypt plans to produce 100,000 vehicles annually under its Automotive Industry Development Program, as the country continues to attract significant investment into its vehicle manufacturing sector. 

In a Facebook post, the Egyptian Cabinet said the AIDP also aims to steer the country’s automotive industry toward electric vehicles and support the establishment of vehicle development and manufacturing facilities in priority locations. 

The push is part of Egypt’s broader effort to diversify industry, cut import dependence and boost local content, as competition for automotive investment intensifies across the Middle East and North Africa. 

This comes as Egypt led the MENA region in automotive investments in 2025, with 27 projects, followed by Morocco with 23 and the UAE with 15, according to a Fitch Solutions report published earlier this month. 

In its Facebook post, the Cabinet stated: “This milestone reflects the government’s pioneering efforts in developing the automotive industry, driven by the state’s AIDP, which aims to increase local value-added to 60 percent and the local component to over 35 percent.” 

The Cabinet added that some of the most prominent car manufacturing and assembly projects in Egypt include Geely’s assembly plant and El Nasr Automotive. 

Fitch Solutions said that 28 automotive projects were announced or inaugurated across the MENA region during the fourth quarter of 2025, with Egypt accounting for the largest share. 

Egypt secured eight projects during the quarter, followed by the UAE with six, Morocco and Saudi Arabia with four each, and Iran with three, according to the report. 

Fitch said nearly one quarter of the targeted 100,000 vehicles under the AIDP are expected to be exported, supported by incentives aimed at manufacturers that scale up production. 

Under the seven-year program, companies must produce more than 10,000 vehicles a year to qualify for incentives, with a minimum output of 5,000 units per model. 

Fitch said the growing momentum of the AIDP has largely supported sustained investment interest in Egypt’s automotive sector, with capital flowing into both vehicle assembly and component manufacturing in line with the government’s localization strategy. 

The investment trend is expected to extend into 2026, as incentives under the AIDP continue to encourage automakers to expand production capacity and increase local content.