The concept of the Aircraft Maintenance Village project came from the centre of Saudi Arabia, where nationalism and industrial ambition collide and the Saudi dream reaches the heavens.
Currently, practical steps that assist the Saudi aviation sector are being taken to realise this ambition. This community not only provides for necessities but also shapes the present and broadens the outlook for the future.
Likewise, by transforming aeroplanes from simple modes of transportation into industrial symbols of advancement and creativity, this project showcases Saudi capabilities and chronicles the Kingdom’s evolution into a major force in the Middle Eastern aviation and maintenance sector. We shall discover the specifics in this essay.
Aircraft Village & Aviation Industries Cluster Establishment
On February 25, the Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (MODON) announced the opening of the Aviation Industries Cluster in the 1.2 million square metre “MODON Oasis” in Jeddah, to empower the supply chains of the aviation industry and localise cutting-edge technologies.
According to Abdulaziz Al-Duailej, President of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), the project comprises a state-of-the-art jet propulsion centre that will improve Saudi Aerospace Engineering’s capacity to service engines for new-generation wide- and narrow-body aircraft.
Moreover, the Jeddah Islamic Port and King Abdulaziz International Airport are both close to the project. It involves the construction of ready-made factories in a range of sizes to assist the aviation sector and offer maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services for aircraft.
Along with the establishment of a centralised facility for certifying production, maintenance, and commercial distribution activities, it also includes the introduction of special logistics zone programmes that offer tax exemptions for 50 years.
Read more: Saudi Air Navigation Set Historic Marks in 2024
The Saudi Aircraft Village is Now Operational
Phases of the Jeddah aviation maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) village project are now officially operational under the Kingdom. After some facilities associated with the project stated above are finished, the remaining stages are expected to be finished in the upcoming year.
The Saudi Public Investment Fund’s interests in Saudia Technic, commonly called Saudi Aerospace Engineering, include the aircraft town project. Raed Ismail, the fund’s Director of Direct Investments for the Middle East and North Africa, stated that the project’s objective is to promote the expansion of the aviation industry in the local market and advance the company’s operations.
Read more: A New Low-Cost Airline in the KSA with an Airline Alliance
The PIF & the Aviation Sector
The Public Investment Fund hopes to establish Saudia Technic as a cutting-edge and pioneering national enterprise in the field of aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) throughout the kingdom.
According to Raed Ismail, this industry plays a significant role in tourism and entertainment and is one of the main drivers of the Kingdom’s financial stability and income diversification. The investment includes the entire aviation system, including:
- AviLease, a fleet management and aircraft leasing company that serves over 42 domestic and foreign customers and oversees almost 200 aircraft with assets worth SAR 28 billion.
- The Helicopter company (THC), which has over 60 aircraft, serves the Fund’s biggest projects, including NEOM, AlUla, and the Red Sea. Additionally, it offers air ambulance services, which over the past three years have helped save over 6,000 lives.
The main goals of aviation investment are to localise expertise, make it possible for local businesses to invest and establish themselves in the industry, and speed up the sector’s growth in accordance with Vision 2030’s objectives. This is in order to attain the regional and global leadership that the Kingdom seeks.
Read more: Saudi Airlines Secures a Historic $19b Contract to Purchase 105 Airbus Aircraft
