RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has a “golden opportunity” for digital transformation as it creates new carriers and airports, according to a top aviation IT provider. Speaking to Arab News on the sidelines of the Global Aviation Issues Conference in Riyadh on Dec. 20, Adonis Succar, director of business development for the Middle East and Africa at SITA, highlighted that the Kingdom is in a unique position not just in the Middle East but also worldwide in creating something entirely new groundbreaking, be it a wholly digital or utterly different type of service for customers. He said: “SITA has been closely working with many partners in the Kingdom, whether airports or airlines, in creating that completely new digital traffic. One of them is the biometric project in Riyadh, which we had a couple of years back and with Riyadh Air, a very promising and digitally driven airline.” Succar explained that the primary focus in the Middle East is how to make the journey completely different “from a passenger point of view.” He said: “There’s no doubt the future is digital. Passengers are looking today to have a completely digital process from the moment they make their booking until they board the airplane and even when they arrive at their final destination.” “We can see passengers are not looking for more control over their journey. They want a seamless and smooth travel in and outside the airport.” The SITA executive has also emphasized the importance of data privacy. He said: “When it comes to data privacy, it’s very important to have clear communications at all levels with all stakeholders and to make sure that communication is clear toward the passenger first because they are the ones at the end of the day sharing information and biometrics.” Speaking about the impact of COVID-19 on the industry, Succar explained that the pandemic had been the “catalyst behind digital transformation.” He said: “The processes and the regulations around that, especially in the Middle East, can be a challenge, and COVID-19 eased up that a lot. We can see improvements in many projects run all over the Middle East.” He further emphasized that “collaboration is key” because technology will not work alone. “It should be aligned with the people on the ground and the senior management. The vision and the objective should be clear to everybody around the airport project.”