RIYADH: Investment opportunities worth more than SR10 billion ($2.6 billion) were set out at a high-level Saudi-French meeting amid a flurry of deals aimed at strengthening the aviation sector.
Airport infrastructure, air navigation, and advanced technologies were among the areas flagged up as available for investment during a roundtable held on the sidelines of the 55th Paris Air Show.
The agreements signed covered strengthening ground support capabilities, localizing technology, and advancing workforce training, and involved Saudi Ground Services Co., France’s Alvest Group, and Arabian Alvest Equipment Maintenance Co., the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The deals come as Saudi Arabia and France deepen economic ties, with non-oil trade exceeding SR20 billion ($5.33 billion) in 2024. The relationship was reinforced during President Emmanuel Macron’s December visit, where both sides endorsed a strategic partnership roadmap and signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a Strategic Partnership Council.
The roundtable was chaired by Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Duailej, president of the General Authority of Civil Aviation, and brought together more than 65 Saudi and French public and private sector entities, including CEOs, aviation safety officials, and specialists across airports, services, and infrastructure.
“The meeting highlighted the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 objectives to achieve economic diversification, and its keen interest in empowering the private sector and building global industrial partnerships,” the SPA report stated.
It added: “The meeting also highlighted the National Aviation Strategy and its focus on developing the aviation industry, making it a top priority sector.”
Saudi Ground Services Co.’s MoU with Alvest Group and Arabian Alvest Equipment Services Co. involves localizing smart, eco-friendly technologies for ground equipment, along with all related maintenance and technical support services. A separate MoU with the same partners was signed to offer training programs and an accredited diploma in technical services and ground equipment maintenance.
The discussions also explored future challenges in global aviation, emphasizing the need for joint strategic efforts in innovation, sustainability, and infrastructure development.
Also at the Paris Air Show, Saudi firm Cluster2 Airports signed an MoU with Airbus to deploy advanced digital solutions aimed at improving operational efficiency, security, and integration across all airports under its network.
The partnership includes the introduction of smart technologies such as Airbus’ Agnet Turnaround platform, an advanced system that enables real-time coordination of airport ground operations.
The latest agreements support the National Aviation Strategy, under which the Kingdom aims to expand capacity to 330 million passengers and 4.5 million tonnes of cargo annually by 2030, connecting to over 250 global destinations.
