Saleh Fareed

Saudi Gazette

 

RAS AL KHAIMAH —  For the 4th year in a row, the 2014 Arab Aviation and Media Summit (AAMS) was inaugurated in Ras Al Khaimah on Sept. 24, 2014, under the patronage of Crown Prince of Ras Al Khaimah Sheikh Mohammed Bin Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi.



With the theme for this year's summit focused on Aviation and Tourism: Common Vision and Purpose -the event witnessed the attendance of a large number of local and regional industry experts and media who came to Ras Al Khaimah to discuss the relationship between tourism and aviation as well as its impact on the social and economic growth of the Arab world.



The AAMS offered professionals insightful discussions on the current trends and challenges faced by the avia-tourism sector in the Arab world and its impact on social and economic growth.



In his welcoming speech, Adel A. Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer of Air Arabia said that in the GCC and wider Arab World, there is strong potential for consistent growth in both the aviation and tourism sectors which will bring employment opportunities and encourage investment into the region.



“As the aviation industry across the world continues to struggle, this region has become one of the most dynamic, underpinned by strong economic fundamentals, increasing passenger demand, and world-class airport infrastructure,” he said.



Meanwhile, Chairman, Department of Civil Aviation, Ras Al Khaimah, Sheikh Salem Bin Sultan Al Qasimi welcomed his guests in his opening remarks, he said: “This summit further signifies the important role we place in developing the aviation scene in the emirate which in return will support the ambitious plans we have set for developing the emirate’s tourism and business sectors.”



He added “we are delighted that Ras Al Khaimah has been chosen to host the fourth annual Arab Aviation and Media Summit, which holds great significance to us on both aviation and tourism scales and we look forward to working with the many partners over the coming years.”



Several panel discussions and case studies were conducted as part of the Summit. Adel Ali, Fouad Attar, Managing Director, Airbus Middle East, and Steven Rice, CEO, RAK Tourism & Development Authority, presented a compelling case study on Ras Al Khaimah as an emerging tourist destination.



They explained how the different facets of the Emirate can be leveraged to further boost inward tourism, which in turn will also benefit several core economic sectors including hospitality and retail. 



Laila Al Muhari, Asisstant Director General – Strategy & International Affairs, UAE GCAA; Hussein Dabbas, Regional Vice President, IATA; and Paul-Franck Bijou, CEO of Airbus Prosky, presented the importance of public private partnerships and dialogue in shaping the future of Arab aviation at a panel discussion. Another panel discussion on MENA aviation and tourism – growth path versus global trends hosted Andre Herrenschmidt, General Manager Waldorf Astoria RAK; Salim Al Mamari, Director General, Oman Ministry of Tourism and Ivan Jakovljevic, Head of Travel, Google.  Paul-Franck Bijou also presented a white paper on the findings of the MENA aviation sector including projections, challenges and opportunities.



Abdulwahab Teffaha, Secertary General Arab Air Carriers Organization ( AACO), highlighted Arab Aviation role in lifting the regional economy and its direct impact on tourism growth.



He said “it is evident that the last two or three decades were exceptional by placing the whole of the Arab world firmly at the core of the global air transport industry, benefiting from the holistic development of this economic sector, both on the levels of infrastructure and airlines.”



Fouad Attar, Managing Director, Airbus Middle East, noted that the Middle East's passenger traffic is expected to grow by 7.1 percent annually. Paul- Franck Bijou, Chief Executive Officer-Airbus Prosky, added the Middle East aviation is witnessing a massive growth, he said “ More than $50 billion modern infrastructure investments have been made recently to support the growth even more on aircraft sales.”



He stated that 30 percent of the current air traffic only lands in the Middle East.



On the sidelines of the Arab Aviation & Media Summit, the Ministry of Education, UAE General Civil Aviation Authority, Airbus and Air Arabia joined forces to organize “ the Little Engineer” workshop for the first time in Ras Al Khaimah. The sustainable initiative aims to engage students through interactive and tailored robotics in order to inspire them to focus on their science and technology studies and consider pursuing studies and careers in all aspects of the aviation industry.