RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s aviation sector is set for substantial safety and security enhancements as the National Security Services Co. prepares to embark on an ambitious expansion plan, its CEO told Arab News. Turki Matooq Al-Thonayan explained how the company, also known as SAFE, already has operations spanning multiple countries and a workforce exceeding 10,000 employees. The comments came on the sidelines of the Future Aviation Forum, which saw over 5,000 industry experts and leaders from more than 120 countries gather in Riyadh to discuss issues facing the sector. In his interview with Arab News, Al-Thonayan emphasized the strategic integration of SAFE’s plans with the aviation sector, aligning with broader transportation goals, saying: “The plan of expansion is totally integrated with aviation. Why we are here is because of transportation, talking about aviation, land, and maritime.” Al-Thonayan went on explaining that the company is also targeting Saudi Arabia’s giga-projects like NEOM, the Red Sea and Qiddiya. “We are targeting the mass event in VIP protection, industrial facilities. And moreover, we are trying to support the government and their initiative to privatize the security services,” he added. SAFE was launched in 2021 and is totally owned by the Public Investment Fund. According to the CEO, the company was initially focused on security services but has since added firefighting, safety, and critical facility management to its remit. “We are working in more than 37 governments within the Kingdom, we are working in Bahrain and we launched our office in the UAE, and we are planning for more expansion in the future,” Al-Thonayan said. The focus on customer experience is at the heart of SAFE’s operational ethos. “Because if we are providing the services like the firefighting, the facility management, the security, this affects the passengers and the customers and the airports,” he said. “The engagement between the passengers and the services is going to be for security and verification. Our goal is how to make this experience excellent, how we address the goal of the passengers,” Al-Thonayan explained. Understanding the needs of passengers and ensuring their swift and efficient movement through airports is a priority for SAFE. “Sometimes their goal is to move as fast as possible to their businesses, to their collaboration within the Kingdom. So we would like to enhance the process. We would like to improve the efficiency of the services within the airport,” the top official noted. “Our goal is to be the ultimate security, safety, firefighting partner,” he emphasized. Al-Thonayan outlined the firm’s key objectives, which revolve around enhancing service efficiency and generating revenue, and said: “Our success is to be a reliable enabler. So how we can enable the ecosystem of aviation to move faster toward their targets, how we can make them do more.” He highlighted that SAFE aims to offer comprehensive solutions that streamline services and ensure reliability, saying: “We are planning to offer and make a commercial offering for a total solution. So instead of having scattered services among these suppliers, we will have one quality service provider that is reliable from the ecosystem, from the government, from the client, from the service provider.” The concept of integration is central to the company’s approach, as Al-Thonayan noted. “Being in Bahrain or being in the UAE, or being in Saudi Arabia, the added value here is to have an integrated service. Door to door, which enables the network to do the business and do smooth and efficient logistics where it contributes and operation excellence, and cost efficiency,” the CEO explained. Al-Thonayan stressed the importance of global operations and the role SAFE plays in facilitating seamless travel experiences. “Our target is to make smooth, excellent, and efficient operations with our destination all over the globe. Today we are talking about the globe coming to Saudi Arabia. How can I enhance this process to make their life easy? How we can contribute and the quality of the lifestyle. This is our role,” he said. Highlighting recent partnerships, Al-Thonayan mentioned significant agreements aimed at enhancing the aviation network within the Kingdom. “The ecosystem in aviation consists of airlines, logistics, and airports. So we have signed (an MoU) today with Dammam Airport Co., DACO and Cluster 2, which is another 22 airports,” he added. These collaborations are going to enhance the network within the Kingdom, according to the CEO. “Our role here is to provide security solutions for our safety solutions, and how can we succeed to transform the model and the business operation from scattered business to a total solution business,” he added. Al-Thonayan underscored the significance of accredited training and technology integration to enhance services. By shifting security’s role from a cost center to a value generator, SAFE aims to cultivate data networks for expanded services. This vision was demonstrated through recent agreements that are viewed as a starting point for further success and collaboration. Al-Thonayan reiterated SAFE’s commitment to setting high standards in the aviation sector and ensuring an exceptional customer experience. “We would like to say to our colleagues in the sector, we are the front or the national front. Passengers, travelers, airport companies, airline companies, will see first our employees, the security, the customer service, and they will make the impression,” he said, “We are obligated and committed to deliver the best customer experience for the globe,” the CEO concluded. With these comprehensive strategies and partnerships, SAFE is poised to play a pivotal role in the future of aviation security and customer experience, both within the Kingdom and beyond.