RIYADH: In a bid to give further impetus to its digitization drive, the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation signed a contract with the Public Investment Fund-owned Elm Co. to develop a comprehensive digital platform to serve the authority’s customers in various sectors, the Saudi Press Agency reported. One of the leading digital security firms in Saudi Arabia, Elm provides modern solutions and services to its strategic partners in the government and private sectors to improve their business and enhance customer experience. The contract was signed at the authority’s headquarters in Riyadh in the presence of GACA President Abdulaziz Al-Duailej and Elm CEO Abdulrahman Al-Jadhai. This contract is in keeping with the objectives of the civil aviation sector’s strategy to enhance the scope of cooperation in technology and digital transformation, which the GACA is keen to activate with specialized international institutions and companies in advanced technical fields. It is also in line with the directions of the Saudi Vision 2030. The contract will include automating electronic transactions, improving procedures and business performance of the authority, governance and control of processes and promptly providing decision-makers with relevant reports. It will also help in achieving operational excellence and ensuring that the expectations of beneficiaries are met, in addition to establishing confidence in the authority’s work. Furthermore, this contract will strengthen the authority’s roles in supervising the implementation of the aviation sector’s strategy, applying global best practices in technology and innovation, and driving digital transformation in the industry by developing the GACA’s platform and automating its services. All this will enable GACA to complete its path in digitizing the services provided to its customers completely from start to finish in various sectors, facilitating procedures and improving performance. Last November, Elm also signed a SR207 million ($55 million) contract with the Ministry of Interior to install vehicle security systems and field inspection gates.