Saudi fights to lead ‘saturated’ Middle East aviation market

Saudi fights to lead ‘saturated’ Middle East aviation market

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Monday pitched aviation industry leaders on its plans to become a global travel hub, drawing skepticism from analysts who questioned how it could compete against regional heavyweights. The conservative kingdom’s aviation goals, part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s wide-ranging “Vision 2030” reforms, include more than tripling annual traffic to 330 million passengers by the end of the decade.

It also wants to draw $100 billion in investments to the sector by 2030, establish a new national flag carrier, construct a new “mega airport” in Riyadh and move up to five million tons of cargo each year. Officials outlined how they intend to hit those targets during a global aviation forum that began Monday in Riyadh. Organizers said 2,000 delegates are trying to chart the airline industry’s post-pandemic recovery.

“Over the next 10 years the kingdom will emerge as the Middle East’s leading aviation hub,” Transport Minister Saleh Al-Jasser told the forum’s opening session. The strategy hinges on tapping the large domestic market of Saudi Arabia, whose population is around 35 million, he told AFP in an interview, citing what analysts described as a major advantage for Saudi carriers over regional rivals Emirates and Qatar Airways.

“We are very