Saudi Transport Minister, Chairman of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), Dr. Nabil Al Amoudi, conveyed his thanks and gratitude to the Custodian of Two Holy Mosques King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud for his patronage of the Global Aviation Summit 2019. The summit will be held on April 1-2, at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Riyadh. Furthermore, he praised the Kingdom's leadership for the continuous support and attention given to the air transport sector. This attention contributed to enhancing the role of the Kingdom on a global level in the field of air transport. He said the summit aims to exchange information and expertise related to the civil aviation sector. Furthermore, to review the global practices towards improving cooperation in the field of safety and security in the sector, and share the best international practices in an effort to raise service quality. He noted that the summit is one of the most important events organized at a global level in the field of air transport. The gathering represents an important opportunity to share and discuss knowledge on future policies, regulation and plan regarding investment opportunities, in addition to discussing the security and safety of the civil aviation system. Likewise, to review plans and strategies of the civil aviation sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in line with the stated objectives of Vision 2030. It also gives us a chance to highlight the participation of women in civil aviation and their contributions in developing this vital sector. Moreover, he considered the summit as a platform for exchanging experiences and information and benefiting from the best international practices through the topics addressed. The most important of which are in the field of safety and security, environmental protection, service improvement, in addition to the development and innovations in aviation technology. High-level government representatives from around the world will attend the summit. They include transport ministers and head of civil aviation authorities. The head of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) will also be in attendance. In addition to a number of officials and experts from a number of international and regional bodies associated with the civil aviation. GACA have previously organized the World Ministerial Conference on Civil Aviation in 2016, which was a great success at a regional and international level. The participant issued a communique "The Riyadh Declaration", which called for the provision of the necessary funds to prepare a regional plan for security and facilities. The aim was to solidify aviation security and the application of all international conventions on aviation security after ratification by the ICAO General Assembly. The Riyadh Declaration also addressed the challenges and risks facing the international civil aviation by the constant danger of international terrorism. The Declaration stressed the need to improve the capabilities of nations to counter the threat of terrorism. It also stressed the importance of raising the level of aviation security surveillance systems and the adherence to the ICAO SARPs. The Riyadh Declaration is also a reference in international forums dealing with safety and security of civil aviation around the world. — SG
