The second edition of the Saudi Airport Exhibition (SAE) kicks off on December 19 at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Centre (RICEC), featuring more than 200 exhibitors including 70 first-timers, from over 25 countries along with 200 regional buyers.

The two-day event is being organized by Niche Ideas with Matarat Holding, an arm of the General Authority of Civil Aviation, as the Platinum Sponsor and supported by other leading aviation organizations.

Saudi Arabia’s only airport industry-dedicated expo comes at a time when the kingdom is in the midst of its largest-ever aviation services and facilities expansion under plans to triple the airport capacity by 2030 as it sets to deliver the fastest passenger traffic growth in the Middle East in the period ending 2040, stated the organiser.

The country aims to connect with over 250-plus destinations and be in the world’s Top 5 air transit hubs by posting an annual passenger traffic to reach the 330 million mark and increase the air cargo volume to 4.5 million tons by 2030.

The Saudi aviation strategy is backed by a $100 billion aviation investment plan that will transform the Middle East’s largest aviation market. The ripple effects of these investments are expected to be monumental on the kingdom’s economy.

By 2030, the civil aviation and air transport sector is predicted to contribute $74 billion to Saudi Arabia’s GDP.

The fastest-growing tourism market in the G20 has 29 airports, of which the King Abdul-Aziz International Airport in Jeddah is getting expanded to accommodate 80 million passengers by 2035 while NEOM Bay Airport is the first of four airports being developed under Vision 2030, the massive economic development program launched six years ago with $100 billion dedicated to the air transport sector.

Officials are launching two new state-owned airlines to handle an unprecedented rush of tourists following the most relaxed visa regime since 2019 which is enabling people from across the world to make their way for religious purposes and exploring its six World Heritage Sites.

Exhibitors from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE, Oman, Qatar, the UK, India, South Africa, Italy, Germany, France, Malaysia, Egypt, Pakistan, Türkiye, China, the United States of America, Estonia, Austria, Spain, Ireland, Slovakia, and the Netherlands are amongst the world’s top airport suppliers showcasing their latest innovations at the event.

Dedicated country pavilions are being set up by Germany and Italy, supported by their respective industry associations, featuring some of the most advanced aviation technologies available globally.

The 15-year-old RICEC is a 19,270-sq-m complex comprising four floors that includes 15,000 sq m of indoor exhibition area which can accommodate over 17000 visitors.

On the upcoming edition, Event Director Daksha Patel said: "The Middle East in general and Saudi Arabia in particular are definitely the most dynamic airport development market in the world today. New initiatives and plans are being announced in the region every few weeks and we are seeing an unbelievable pace of aviation transformation, unlike almost anything seen in the past."

"Whether its trialling new technology, setting ambitious benchmarks on sustainability, thinking afresh on passenger experience or leading global collaboration on safety and growth, the Middle East has a lot to offer the global aviation industry. We expect two days of fruitful discussions to culminate in several new partnerships and initiatives being announced at the show that will take us into an exciting new year for aviation," she stated.

All the SAE-2023 exhibitors will be displaying the newest products and services dedicated to the airport industry in the kingdom whose economy has for the first time crossed the $1 trillion mark.

Among the multinational companies coming to exhibit are Collins Aerospace, Egis, Fraport, Frequentis, Groupe ADP, Siemens, SITA, and Vanderlande, many already key partners on the Kingdom’s airport development projects. 

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