UK aerospace and technology company Vertical Aerospace has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that seeks to help establish the regulatory and operational foundations needed to enable advanced air mobility in Saudi Arabia.

The agreement, which supports Vertical's strategy of working alongside regulators worldwide, will explore ways to support validation of Vertical’s Valo eVTOL aircraft type certification; support the development of regulatory frameworks for future electric aircraft operations; and prepare Saudi Arabia’s aviation ecosystem for the safe introduction of eVTOL aircraft.

Another key component will be the exchange of technical knowledge and certification best practices with leading international aviation authorities. This is intended to help accelerate the development of globally coordinated approaches to electric aviation certification.

The signing ceremony was also attended by Gemma Stevenson, His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for the Middle East and Pakistan, underscoring the strength of the UK-Saudi partnership and the shared ambition to advance future aviation technologies.

Alongside this, a separate MoU was signed between Vertical and Saudi airport operator Cluster2 Airports Company that establishes a framework for cooperation to explore, assess and prepare for the development of eVTOL aircraft operations within the Kingdom, including evaluating the potential deployment of Vertical aircraft across Cluster2 Airports’ network.

Michael Cervenka, chief commercial and strategy officer of Vertical, says: “Saudi Arabia has demonstrated its bold vision for the future of aviation and transportation, and we are excited to be a part of this with GACA. Together, we have the opportunity to help establish a framework that enables safe, scalable and commercially viable advanced air mobility.”

Capt Sulaiman Saleh Almuhaimedi, EVP for aviation safety and environmental sustainability at GACA, adds: “By working with Vertical Aerospace, GACA aims to build the regulatory capabilities, certification expertise and operational framework needed to safely introduce advanced air mobility into the Kingdom and to move forward the next generation of aviation.”