WASHINGTON — The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to train and improve operations in civil aviation, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said Saturday.

GACA President Abdulhakim Al-Tamimi and Deputy Administrator of FAA Carl E. Burleson signed the MoU.

The MoU aims at training, capacity building in various aviation sectors, safety, security and environmental protection in air transport, as well as improving civil aviation operations and access to the latest technologies and best practices in various sectors of civil aviation.

Earlier, the GACA in cooperation with the Saudi-American Business Council organized a roundtable meeting with big American civil aviation companies. The meeting was held in the presence of the representatives of various GACA administrations, including airports, information technology, telecommunications, economic policies, air transport and projects sectors.

The Saudi Academy for Civil Aviation and over 50 representatives of companies in the building and construction, technology systems, airport operation, aviation services and aviation systems, among others, took part in the meeting.

Al-Tamimi, in his speech, focused on the investment opportunities in the Kingdom’s aviation sector and air transport market, especially with the growing air traffic in the Kingdom’s skies. He mentioned other investment fields, like infrastructure projects that encompass building, construction and development of airports as well as the available opportunities in operation of airports and providing advanced services and consultations.

Al-Tamimi said GACA was striving to keep pace with the goals of Kingdom’s Vision 2030 to make the Kingdom a global logistics center linking three continents and receiving 30 million Umrah pilgrims annually. GACA is also focusing on privatization, one of the goals of the Vision 2030.

Al-Tamimi also met with the officials of aviation companies with whom he discussed means of cooperation so as to operate direct flights to and from the US.

He met with the CEO of Cohen Company, William Cohen and discussed the likely opportunities in consultation services in the Kingdom’s civil aviation fields. – SPA