RIYADH: The Secretary General of the International Civil Aviation Organization has praised Saudi Arabia for its pioneering work in the air travel sector during a visit to the Kingdom. Juan Carlos Salazar met with the President of Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Duailej, during which the pair discussed the national strategy for the Kingdom’s aviation sector – which aims at enhancing cooperation and partnership with international organizations. It also focuses on boosting the efficiency of the operation and upgrading services at the Kingdom"s airports in line with the Saudi Vision 2030. Discussions also covered ways to enhance joint support between GACA and ICAO to upgrade the civil aviation systems at the regional and international levels. During the visit, the ICAO secretary general and his accompanying delegation toured the headquarters of Riyadh-based Cooperative Aviation Security Program - Middle East. According to the Saudi Press Agency, Salazar commended the Kingdom’s pioneering role and its constant support of ICAO’s member states and its activities and programs, including hosting CASP’s headquarters in Riyadh. He also commended the tremendous development the Kingdom has witnessed in all fields, especially the civil aviation sector, expressing appreciation for the Kingdom’s active roles and effective participation in all the ICAO’s initiatives and programs, said SPA in its report. The delegation also paid a visit to King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, where they were briefed on the facility’s services and procedures to improve the travel experience. The visit is the latest step by Saudi Arabia to boost its aviation sector. Earlier in February, GACA signed an agreement with its UK counterpart to strengthen ties in the area of safety while encouraging fresh investment in the Kingdom. Aimed at improving the quality of safety management of all aviation operators in Saudi Arabia, the deal will help GACA keep up to date with the latest developments in the sector. The agreement will also help create an attractive environment for investors, while facilitating the expected economic growth in the sector as the Kingdom aims to diversify its revenue sources, reported the Saudi Press Agency. The SPA report added that this deal underlines GACA’s keenness to ensure the transfer of knowledge and train national professionals in the field, in line with the objectives of the next stage, which will witness the introduction of new air transport types and with the Saudi Vision 2030.