RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is working towards achieving a solid aviation ecosystem as it looks towards taking on a regional hub role, in line with the nation's Vision 2030, said Raid Ismael, co-head of Middle East North Africa direct investment at the Public Investment Fund.
“From a commercial aviation perspective, there are lots of opportunities when it comes to the new carrier within Riyadh. The most important is the ecosystem that is around it. To have a solid ecosystem and a multiplier effect, to make sure we drive that into a leading hub within the region,” said Ismael.
While talking at the Future Aviation Forum in Riyadh, on May 9, Ismael revealed that the key objective of the PIF strategy is to become an enabler to execute Vision 2030, and added that aviation is a key sector that PIF is focused on.
Ismael added that the country has launched a helicopter company to enable tourism in the Giga projects — NEOM, The Red Sea Project and Amaala.
He added that the PIF is trying to provide an effective ecosystem for security services for airports, in close alignment with government agencies like GACA.