RIYADH: The Kingdom will host the first Saudi Drone Summit and Expo next month in Riyadh, focusing on “advancing surveillance, security, efficiency and operations.” The two-day event will open on April 22, giving a platform to key decision-makers from across Saudi Arabia to discuss key technological advancements, and to view the latest products made in the country’s unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) sector. The summit will be divided into four sessions, with the first dealing with changing regulations and legislation to foster innovation. The second session will focus on how to incorporate drone technology into national security strategies, and will present multiple case studies of similar programs in other nations. The third is dedicated to the industry’s general global outlook, visualizing a new world of UAV-based personal travel and goods transportation, and will also focus on how drones can be used in sectors from construction to health care. Finally, the fourth session will highlight progress in the local industry, explaining UAV innovation and the nature of operating drones on a practical level. Experts will attend the summit from across the world, and it comes in the aftermath of the General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA) recently publishing its new policy for private drone usage in the Kingdom. A recreational drone permit will now cost citizens SR250 ($66.66) the GACA announced in January, and applicants will require a national identity card or iqama, and the name and serial number of the model in question. Commercial permits, meanwhile, will set businesses back SR500, and applicants will also have to complete a GACA-approved training course.