U.S.-Saudi Business Council Leads Advanced Air Mobility Mission to Saudi Arabia

jayfer2 0 Comments February 19, 2025

VIENNA, Va., Feb. 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The U.S.-Saudi Business Council (USSBC) led a delegation of 12 advanced air mobility (AAM) companies on a business development mission to Jeddah and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from February 3-6, 2025. Representing cutting-edge products in the rapidly emerging AAM industry, the delegation met with key public and private sector players in the Saudi aviation space in a bid to position U.S. technology innovators as first mover partners in the Kingdom’s drive to become the MENA region’s leader in the advanced air mobility sector. Nexa Capital Partners and industry association NUAIR partnered with the Council to organize the mission.

His Excellency Majid Al-Kassabi, Saudi Arabian Minister of Commerce, welcomed the mission and praised the Council’s role as a critical facilitator in bringing in-demand technologies to the Kingdom to set the stage for long-term and mutually beneficial investment and partnership opportunities. This sentiment was echoed in other meetings with the leadership of the General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA), the National Competitiveness Center (NCC), the Ministry of Defense (MoD), the General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI), Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI), NEOM, the Public Investment Fund (PIF) and both the Riyadh and Jeddah Chambers of Commerce. The group also met with private sector players in the aviation sector including SAUDIA, Flynas, Matarat, NERA, SAFE, THC, Riyadh Air, and others.

The products and solutions represented on the mission included hybrid electric aircraft, hydrogen powered eVTOLs, power solutions using methanol to produce fuel cell grade hydrogen, counter drone systems to protect airspace, advanced weather analytics, vertiport infrastructure design, advanced avionics and sensors, autonomous ground vehicles for runway inspections, and an advanced air transportation operator.

Charles Hallab, President and CEO of the USSBC, who led the mission, stated, “Our mission was more than just a visit—it was about getting business done. We brought cutting-edge U.S. companies to Saudi Arabia to directly engage with key decision-makers and explore mutually beneficial partnerships that will advance the Kingdom’s AAM vision, ensuring Saudi Arabia’s rightful place as a regional and global leader in AAM. This is just the beginning of many impactful collaborations across this developing landscape (and airscape) of Saudi Arabia.”

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