By Syed Mussarat Khalil

Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — The Ministry of Labor and Social Development (MLSD) and the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) have approved the establishment of Association of Pilots, the first specialized professional association in the field of aviation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The association will be based in Jeddah, Maj. Gen. Dr. M. Mohammed Mustafa Juhani (founding member of the association) announced recently.

The association is registered in the General Administration of NGOs and Associations for Specialized Societies in the Kingdom.

The new association is to be led by Captain Abdul Aziz Bin Abulkhair Al-Khayyat.

Dr. Ahmed Bin Saad Al-Farah was chosen vice president and Captain Pilot Ben Basheer Flattah as secretary general of the association.

The other founding board members include Dr. Tarek Ben Ali Fadak, Captain Pilot Hisham Bin Abdullah Zare, Captain Pilot Ahmad Bin Shehhat Mufti, Maj. Gen. Hamad Bin Abdulrahman Al-Hassoun, Captain Dr. Essam Bin Abdullah Danesh, Sulaiman Bin Saleh Al-Rajhi and Maj. Gen. Dr. M. Mohammed Mustafa Juhani.

Captain Flattah, secretary general, pointed out that the pilots' association will start operating soon after opening its headquarters in Jeddah. The most important objective of this association is to bring together pilots and professionals interested in aviation affairs in the Kingdom under one umbrella and a platform to exchange experiences and support them logistically and educate them healthily, technically and administratively as well as spreading the aviation culture in the community, regionally and globally.

He added that the association will open its doors to those interested in aviation to benefit and contribute to raising the level of aviation services in the Kingdom by opening the field for training, rehabilitation and conferences and providing the necessary information.

Captain Abdul Aziz Bin Abulkhair Al-Khayyat said the association will be a qualitative leap in the history of aviation in Saudi Arabia. The pilots will have an important practical reference that will provide them with all that is new in the world of aviation and the association will contribute to be a communication and communication platform between pilots and those interested in aviation according to the vision of the Kingdom.