Kingdom continues impressive aviation transformation
The 2nd edition of the Saudi Airport Exhibition (SAE) is all set to be another highly successful B2B platform when it opens its doors for a two-day run on 19 and 20 December and at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center (RICEC) with over 250 global companies expected from over 50 countries along with over 250 regional buyers.
In its debut edition, SAE attracted over 150 exhibitors from 25 countries who showcased their products and services to airport industry professionals in the Arabian Peninsula’s largest and most populated country.
Sponsors
The only airport-dedicated event in the Kingdom is being organized by Niche Ideas and NCX with Matarat Holding, the General Authority for Civil Aviation’s arm that transforms and promotes Saudi airports, as the Platinum Sponsor, and leading Saudi local organizations, including APSCO, METCO, SGS, and Saudi Sicli as Gold Sponsors, and Ground Handling Logistics as Badge Sponsor.
“As a premier global airport development event, we will once again highlight the impressive aviation growth, technologies and business expansion opportunities over this decade in the Kingdom which remains amid a massive socio-economic and infrastructural transformation with its economy crossing the US$1 trillion mark for the first time in history, ahead of its 2025 target,” noted Daksha Patel, Event Director, Niche Ideas.
The fastest growing tourism market in the G20 has set for itself the goal of handling 330mn passengers and 4.5mn tons of air cargo by the end of this decade, along with having a 250-plus destination connectivity from across its 29 airports, of which the King Abdul-Aziz International Airport in Jeddah is getting expanded to accommodate 80mn passengers by 2035.
Industry trends
In eleven sessions over two days, the Global Aviation Issues Conference, a co-located event, will see experts and specialists from across the world speaking about the Current State and Future of Aviation: Regional and Global Connectivity, Airline Industry Trends and Challenges, Regulatory Frameworks and International Cooperation, Emerging Technologies in Aviation, and Air Cargo and Logistics.
On the second day, the focus of discussions will be on Digital Transformation and Aviation 4.0, Aviation Security and Cybersecurity, Human Capital and Workforce Development, Environmental Challenges and Sustainable Aviation, Resilience and Crisis Management in Aviation, and Collaborative Approaches to Aviation Problem-Solving.
Airport Excellence Awards
By presenting the Airport Excellence Awards to 15 entities as winners and runners-up, the event will celebrate the outstanding best practices and exemplary contributions across a broad range of airport products and services, including Infrastructure Expansion, Sustainability and Environment, Ground Support Solutions, Innovation and Technology, and Passenger Experiences.
Another co-located event will be the Women in Aviation (WIA) General Assembly celebrating its 10th anniversary. This by-invitation event will host over 500 attendees, including key Saudi government officials, aviation leaders, senior women officials and managers working in aviation across the Middle East region, top female students at Saudi colleges and HR managers from regional aviation businesses and government entities.
