Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation is set to unveil a general aviation roadmap at the 2024 Future Aviation Forum (FAF 2024) in May, to increase the GDP of the country's general aviation sector tenfold to $2 billion by 2030.

The roadmap covers the business jet segment, including charter, private and corporate jets, and will support Saudi Arabia's development as a global high-value business and tourist destination. In October 2023, Saudi Arabia revised its 2030 tourism target upwards from 100 to 150 million visitors by 2030.

His Excellency the president of GACA Abdulaziz-Al Duailej says: "General aviation is vital to growing the high-value sectors of the Saudi economy such as tourism, business and entertainment events. The general aviation roadmap will turbocharge the sector within the Kingdom, transforming infrastructure and regulations, simultaneously developing, promoting and enhancing general aviation services in the market. GACA looks forward to hosting general aviation investors, operators and service providers at the Future Aviation Forum in May, where we will launch this ambitious plan to global audiences."

The roadmap will support private aviation aircraft owners, lessors, investors, operators and service providers through coordinated infrastructure investment and regulatory streamlining. The announcement follows GACA's removal of 'empty leg restrictions' and simplification of economic licence requirements for operators and investors in October 2023 to boost the general aviation sector.

FAF 2024 returns to Riyadh from 20-22 May, bringing together 5,000 experts and aviation leaders from over 100 countries, including ministers, regulators, manufacturers, airlines and airports. The Forum, which saw the signing of more than 50 agreements and $2.7 billion in deals during the 2022 edition, will feature commercial announcements alongside the roadmap and specialist general aviation panel sessions.

Hosted by the GACA under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, the Forum will be centred on the theme of Elevating Global Connectivity.