Riyadh Declaration signing marks end of aviation forum

01/09/2016 04:58 AST

The Global Ministerial Aviation Summit ended in an upbeat mood on Wednesday, with the signing of the Riyadh Declaration.

Minister of Transportation Sulaiman Al-Hamdan thanked Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman for extending support to the summit, and the local and foreign speakers and guests for their participation.

The Riyadh Declaration, which was adopted by the participating ministers and heads of Arab delegations, included six resolutions.

He disclosed that the Kingdom was pledging $1 million as contribution to ICAO’s No Country Left Out Program to help states, which are unable to apply the standard rules and recommended methods of safety.

Other countries with the capability to help are also expected to donate to the program, with Al-Hamdan saying that the Kingdom will continue to support ICAO in its efforts in various fields of civil aviation.

Al-Hamdan said that the air transport industry was currently experiencing a lot of challenges, especially on safety and security, doubling of air traffic, privatization, competition, legislation and technical and rapid deployment.

“However, the countries and organizations, which are participating in this forum, are qualified and ready to meet those aviation challenges through joint international action,” he said. Al-Hamdan noted that international cooperation through the ICAO promotes regularity and sustainability of growth of international civil aviation.

He urged the participants to make use of the objectives of the forum, such as exchange of experiences and information, to meet the challenges related to aviation safety and security. Olumuyiwa Bernard Aliu, ICAO council president, and Haydar Yalcin, Eurocontrol PC president, also spoke on the last day of the summit.

Arab News