BOEING has signed an agreement with Saudia Aerospace Engineering Industries (SAEI) and Alsalam Aircraft Company to create the Saudi Rotorcraft Support Center in the Kingdom. The joint venture will have locations in Riyadh and Jeddah providing comprehensive in-country maintenance repair and overhaul support for Saudi Arabia's diverse rotorcraft fleet. “Boeing is always looking at innovative ways to offer our customers the highest level of service and support,” said Leanne Caret president of Boeing's Global Services & Support business in St. Louis after the signing ceremony. “The Saudi Rotorcraft Support Center builds on our decades-long partnership with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. When it is fully operational, the Saudi military will have a national asset that affordably enhances the “readiness of their rotorcraft personnel and fleet,” he said. Through in-country cooperation the companies are focused on expanding the Saudi workforce through creation of self-sustaining jobs technical and aerospace skills development for local workers and further involvement of the Saudi aerospace supply base. This collaboration brings together the expertise of three world-class companies to further strengthen the local industry in the Kingdom. “By engaging Saudi industry, we are developing new business opportunities that foster broader capabilities in Saudi Arabia,” said Ahmed Jazzar, Boeing president in the Kingdom. The joint venture will support the Kingdom's commercial and defense rotorcraft platforms?, ?including the Boeing-built AH-64 Apache H-47 Chinook and AH-6i. This project will strengthen and diversify future Saudi workforce, provide long-term investment in our company contributing to the Kingdom's goal of localization economic growth and transfer of state-of-the-art technology and know-how, said Nader A. Khalawi, SAEI's chief executive officer. “Alsalam takes pride in being part of this joint venture project that adds an integrated state-of-the-art rotorcraft maintenance and support capabilities in the Kingdom,” said Mohammed Fallatah, president of the company. The project, Fallatah added, will create more job opportunities for Saudi nationals in the rapidly growing sector. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. — SG
