Arab News, Sun, Dec 24, 2023 | Jamada Al-Aakhirah 11, 1445
Saudi aviation sector to create 1.2m jobs in next 20 years
Saudi Arabia:
The Saudi aviation industry is anticipated to create some 1.2 million job
opportunities over the coming two decades to meet the “boom” in the sector,
according to an aviation expert.
Speaking to Arab News on the sidelines of the
Saudi Airport Exhibition, held at the Riyadh International Convention and
Exhibition Center, Mervat Sultan, president of the Women in Aviation Middle East
Chapter, also emphasized the equal role women can play in the aviation
industry.
She stated that her organization is committed to
raising public awareness about the myriad roles women can undertake in the
aviation industry.
“They can easily participate and be part of this
industry. The most important part is to educate, train, and then show them the
direction to what part they can participate in,” said Sultan.
She mentioned that the only way they could achieve
this was through collaboration between the private and government sectors, as
well as organizations like theirs, emphasizing that they possessed the know-how
and capability to accomplish it.
She added that organizations could bring both
sectors together and inform them that the industry needs 100,000 pilots, for
instance. “We urge them to guide the universities to give more attention to
their piloting programs than the engineering ones,” Sultan emphasized.
“In this way, we have the workforce when we need
them. When we have the aircraft ready, we have the workforce to go on board and
fly them, perform the engineering and maintenance work on the aircraft, engage
in ground handling services, fueling, or even management.”
Speaking about the aviation industry in Saudi
Arabia, Sultan noted a significant boom, with an increase in airports,
establishment of new airlines, and a rising number of tourists.
According to her, this surge in demand for more
airlines is evident, painting a clear picture that the aviation industry in
Saudi Arabia is growing significantly and is poised to lead the industry in the
coming 20 years.
Statistics showed a 126 percent industry growth in
Saudi Arabia, contributing to an $82 billion revenue, and Sultan anticipated the
creation of 1.2 million new jobs to support this growth.
While emphasizing that the aviation industry knows
no gender-specific challenges, she highlighted the need for increased awareness
and information dissemination.
Sultan, one of the first women in the Arab world
to obtain an FAA GCAA flight dispatch license, emphasized that the aviation
industry presents no challenges for women but rather opportunities that one can
either seize or miss.
She underscored the importance of scholarships and
internships for the new generation, calling for support from both the government
and private sectors.
Addressing gender equality in the industry, Sultan
stated that both men and women are equally capable of contributing to the
aviation sector, leveraging technological advancements that have minimized
physical requirements.
She concluded by stressing the need for continuous
support from both government and private sectors to fulfill the mission of
empowering women in the aviation industry and showcasing the diverse roles
available.