The Kingdom is represented at this conclave, which is being held until December 7, by a delegation led by Tarik Talbi, director of Air Transport at the General Directorate of Civil Aviation (Air Transport Department), accompanied by representatives of Royal Air Maroc and Air Arabia.
Considered the largest international event dedicated to the field of air transport, ICAN aims to keep pace with the rapid development of the global air transport industry and to conduct negotiations and consultations on bilateral agreements, with the aim of provide better services and facilitate the establishment of links between regulators, airline operators and service providers.
In a speech for the occasion, Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, Minister of Transport and Logistics and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation, said that ICAN 2023 embodies the commitment of the Saudi authorities to strengthen the exchange of experiences and build a united and cooperative global aeronautics sector.
He added that the agreements and different aspects of cooperation and partnerships that will be held during this conference will have a positive impact, not only on the aviation sector, but also on tourism and trade, among others.
For his part, the Chairman of the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation, Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Duailej, stressed that the national aviation strategy aims to highlight the pioneering role of the Kingdom in the field of civil aviation in the Middle East region, attracting investments worth $100 billion and creating an exceptional travel experience for more than 330 million people annually by 2030.
He said this strategy is expected to contribute to significant growth in the field of freight transportation and logistics services, increasing the volume of air cargo by almost one million tonnes to 4.5 million tonnes by 2030.
For his part, the President of the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Salvatore Sciacchitano, noted that ICAN has managed, since its launch in 2008, to host more than 5,000 bilateral meetings, which have resulted in the signing of nearly 4,000 cooperation agreements and memorandums between 160 countries around the world.
He also noted that the meetings planned for this edition, with more than 700 participants, will directly contribute to ensuring the growth and sustainability of global air transport and many other interdependent sectors.