RIYADH: Economic cooperation in Saudi-China civil aviation is set to strengthen, with top officials meeting in Beijing to discuss investment opportunities and technology transfer for industry advancements. This comes as a high-level delegation, led by Abdulaziz Al-Duailej, president of the Kingdom’s General Authority of Civil Aviation, began a visit to the Asian country, convening a joint round table meeting to explore cooperation in connectivity and discuss partnership aspects across various areas. Furthermore, both nations discussed the exploration of innovative solutions in aviation, including sustainable fuels, advanced air mobility, and traffic management systems. They expressed interest in integrating artificial intelligence and digital technologies to enhance the aviation experience and operational efficiency. Additionally, the Saudi delegation emphasized substantial investments in the sector and reiterated the Kingdom’s openness to further opportunities. This aligns with GACA’s goal of modernizing the airport system and supports the Kingdom’s tourism sector target of attracting 150 million visitors by 2030. Al-Duailej highlighted the Kingdom’s success in initiating substantial investments in airline and airport infrastructure, such as the establishment of Riyadh Air as a new national carrier. He also emphasized the launch of the master plan for King Salman International Airport in Riyadh, alongside several other strategic investments in the sector’s infrastructure. The GACA president also underscored that, in line with the National Aviation Strategy, Saudi Arabia aims to enhance air connectivity to 250 destinations, serving 330 million passengers, and to double air cargo capacity to 4.5 million tons by 2030. Al-Duailej concluded the meeting by highlighting the upcoming Saudi Airport Exhibition scheduled to take place in Riyadh later this year. He elaborated that the two-day event will assess the ongoing growth of the sector in the presence of global leaders in the aviation industry. Consequently, the president urged Chinese firms to explore investment opportunities in the Kingdom and join the country’s efforts to reshape the future of global aviation. The overarching goal of the 11-day tour, which also includes visits to Singapore and the US, is to enhance travel options, promote tourism, and facilitate cultural and commercial exchange between the countries.