based event management company, has announced that it is coordinating with the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) in Saudi Arabia to bring together top aviation industry players during the inaugural ‘Kingdom Airports, Aviation and Logistics Exhibition' (KAALE) that is scheduled to take place from May 1- 2, at the Centre for Events and Forums, in Jeddah. The exhibition has specifically been designed for those who wish to learn about and capitalize on the opportunities emerging in the aviation, airports and logistics sector in Saudi Arabia, the fastest growing and already the largest economy in the Arab world. The event has generated substantial exhibitor interest as 95 per cent of the stands have already been sold out, underlining the significance of this two-day event. Importantly, the event takes places at a time when the Saudi government has aggressive plans to overhaul existing transportation infrastructure, with over US$100 billion worth of investments expected to flow into the large-scale airports, seaports, rail, road and logistics projects in the next decade. The Government's next five year plan in fact has made an allocation for over US$ 30 billion for the purpose. KAALE 2012 will also feature a unique conference wherein top government decision makers and industry professionals will deliver high-level presentations and expert analysis on projects on offer in the Kingdom, their technical aspects, products and smart solutions, partnering options, and contractual and legal issues, to hundreds of delegates. “Saudi Arabia plans to invest heavily in constructing new airports in the country, while also expanding existing airports over the next decade. The Kingdom is estimated to be investing US$10 billion - US$20 billion for developing and upgrading airports by 2020, with private companies expected to contribute as much as US$10 billion to the projects. Such a scenario presents the ideal setting for us to organize an event of this scale and significance, which will also facilitate networking and developing key industry contacts that will eventually lead to securing new contracts,” said Raj Menon, General Manager, Arabian Reach. Among the several major airport development projects in the Kingdom is the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, which is being renovated and expanded as part of a three-phase, US$11.3 billion project that is due to be completed in 2035. The purpose of the project is to increase the airport's capacity from 15 million to 80 million passengers per year. Expansion is also taking place at Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz Airport in Medinah - the first that GACA is developing under a PPP contract - to increase the hub's passenger capacity by 14 million every year up to 2016. Phase 1 of this project will cost US$ 1.5 billion.
