Saudi Arabia Pledges $1 Million to ICAO to Support Developing Countries
Minister of Transport and Logistic Services and General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) Chairman Saleh Al-Jasser affirmed Saudi Arabia's leading role in the global aviation sector. Speaking at the opening of the 42nd General Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Montreal, Canada, he announced a $1 million donation from Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to support the ICAO's "No Country Left Behind" program for the 2025-2028 cycle, which helps developing countries implement civil aviation safety and security standards.
Al-Jasser stated that the Kingdom is an influential force in regional and international aviation, ranking among the top countries in aviation safety and security. He noted that Saudi Arabia has strong cooperative relations with ICAO and has actively contributed to developing global policies and practices.
The minister highlighted the Kingdom's aviation program, part of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy, which aims to transport over 330 million passengers annually by 2030, connect the Kingdom to 250 international destinations, attract investments exceeding $100 billion, develop key infrastructure like King Salman International Airport with a capacity of 120 million passengers, and train over 50,000 professionals in the sector by 2030.
Al-Jasser noted that the aviation sector contributes over $53 billion to the GDP and provides one million job opportunities. He also mentioned that Saudi Arabia has hosted numerous international conferences, including the ICAO Air Services Negotiation Event (ICAN2023) and the ICAO Facilitation 2024 Global Summit.
The Kingdom is committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 by investing in low-carbon infrastructure, modernizing its fleet, and adopting sustainable aviation fuels, said Al-Jasser. He highlighted the Red Sea International Airport as a global model of sustainability, as it operates entirely on renewable energy. The use of an autonomous air taxi for Hajj 2024 was also mentioned as an example of the Kingdom's commitment to innovation.
In terms of regional integration, Al-Jasser said Saudi Arabia is proud to chair the Executive Council of the Arab Civil Aviation Organization (ACAO) and host the official headquarters of the Cooperative Aviation Security Program – Middle East (CASP-MID).
He invited all member states to attend the fourth edition of the Future of Aviation Conference, which will be held in Riyadh from April 20 to 22, 2026.
