Aviation sector a key pillar in UAE economy: Sultan Al Mansouri

The aviation sector is a key pillar in enriching the national economy, said the UAE Minister of Economy and Chairman of the General Civil Aviation Authority, GCAA, in a statement on the upcoming Global Investment in Aviation Summit, GIAS 2019.

The first edition of the summit will kick off in Dubai with the participation of the largest ever gathering of aviation ministers and heads of civil aviation authorities from around the world. The event will focus on guiding investments towards six sectors, including aircraft maintenance, manufacturing and supply, aircraft engineering and technology, defence aviation, duty free markets and airline catering industry.

Al Mansouri said the summit coincides with the "remarkable achievement" recently attained by Dubai International Airport, where the number of passengers traveling through the airport exceeded one billion. "The Global Investment Aviation Summit in Dubai highlights the UAE’s leading regional role in the aviation sector, which is a key pillar in enriching the national economy," he affirmed.

Taking place on 28th and 29th January, GIAS 2019 will see the attendance of Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy and GCAA Chairman, Sheikh Salman Al Sabah, Chairman of Kuwait’s Directorate-General of Civil Aviation, Kamal bin Ahmed Mohammed, Bahrain’s Minister of Transportation and Telecommunication, Abdul Hakim bin Mohammed Suleiman Al Tamimi, Chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation, Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, President of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO, Hadi Sirica, Nigeria’s Aviation Minister, Blade Nzimande, South Africa’s Minister of Transport, Volodymyr Omelyan, Minister of Infrastructure in Ukraine, Monica Azuba Ntege, Uganda’s Minister of Works and Transport, Captain Sameh El Hefny, President of the Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority, and Ricardo Fenelon Junior, Director-General of Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency, among other decision makers.

The engagement of aviation ministers along with key industry leaders confirms the importance of GIAS, given the prestigious status occupied by the UAE in the airline industry regionally and globally.

The Minister added that the UAE is invested in advancing its aviation sector in terms of using the latest developments in modern technologies, research and development, and hosting and participating in regional and international exhibitions and conferences, with the aim to reach significant agreements with local and global partners, increasing trade and investment opportunities in the aviation industry.

GIAS 2019 will offer an ideal platform for ministers of aviation, airline companies and professionals in the air transport sector to keep them up-to-date with the latest developments on the airline industry, and allow them to gain insights into investment opportunities available in local, regional and global aviation markets

The UAE is ranked among the top countries in ease of doing business, in addition to its accumulated expertise in increasing the capacity of its international airports that achieved phenomenal growth rates in passenger traffic. All this has coupled with a massive expansion in its infrastructure and the fleets of its national carriers, use of the latest technological equipment and provision of quality of services, among others.

Commenting on the inaugural summit, Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, GCAA Director-General, said, "The participation of aviation ministers and heads of air transport agencies and airline companies, as well as industry leaders and businesspeople from all around the world, is a testament of the importance of GIAS. It also emphasises the prestigious stature occupied by the UAE in the aviation industry, which is a key driver of economic growth in the country."

Al Suwaidi added, "The UAE’s aviation and air transport sector has made unique jumps during the past few years, where the state managed to reach milestones on a par with the leading countries in this sector, whether in terms of the number of flights taking off or landing every day at Emirati airports or the number of passengers."

Highlighting the importance of the aviation sector, the GCAA Director-General said that the industry has contributed significantly to cementing the UAE’s position as one of the leading countries that provide the highest quality in air transport services, by harnessing the latest technologies and smart services in the aviation industry."

The UAE is one of the leading countries in the world’s aviation and air transport sector, where aviation is one of the most prominent sectors that contribute to creating a sustainable economy, which ultimately leads to the country’s overall future sustainable development. The country seeks to become first globally in the airline service quality index after it achieved a unique shift in the size of its air transport infrastructure projects over the past few years.

It focuses on the aviation sector, which contributes 15 percent to the country’s GDP, and is expected to reach 20 percent over the next few years. National carriers are continuing their expansion in various foreign markets, thereby reinforcing the UAE’s position in the global air travel industry. Dubai has increased the capacity of its airports, in terms of the number of passengers and flights taking off and landing, in addition to its ongoing expansion plans to reach new destinations across the world.

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