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Saudi Aviation Sector Contributes $53 Bln to Economy

A civilian aircraft flies over the skies of the Saudi capital (Riyadh Air)
A civilian aircraft flies over the skies of the Saudi capital (Riyadh Air)
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Saudi Aviation Sector Contributes $53 Bln to Economy

A civilian aircraft flies over the skies of the Saudi capital (Riyadh Air)
A civilian aircraft flies over the skies of the Saudi capital (Riyadh Air)

Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation sector is playing a crucial role in driving the Kingdom’s economic growth, contributing $53 billion to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA).

This data was revealed in the inaugural 2024 State of Aviation Report, which GACA will launch at the Future Aviation Forum, detailing the contribution of the aviation sector to Saudi Arabia’s economic development and Vision 2030 transformation program.

The forum, held under the patronage of King Salman bin Abdulaziz, will take place from May 20-22 in Riyadh.

Transport Minister and Chairman of GACA Saleh Al-Jasser emphasized the significant strides made by Saudi Arabia’s aviation sector in international metrics, aligning with the transformative goals of Vision 2030 and the National Transport and Logistics Strategy.

These advancements offer unprecedented opportunities in the aviation sector.

The report, developed by GACA in line with its strategic regulatory mandate, highlights that the Saudi aviation sector contributes $20.8 billion through aviation-related activities, enabling a further estimated $32.2 billion in tourism economic activity.

Moreover, aviation supports 241,000 jobs, and a further estimated 717,000 jobs in the tourism sector.

The report also captures the transformation of Saudi aviation, with Saudi Arabia outperforming global aviation sector growth rates in 2023 – achieving 123% of international pre-pandemic seat capacity compared with a global and regional average recovery rate of 90% and 95% respectively, with 2023 growth amounting to 26% as total passenger volumes reached 111.7 million.

Hosted by GACA under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, the Future Aviation Forum will showcase investment opportunities exceeding $100 billion, aimed at realizing Vision 2030 objectives to position Saudi Arabia as a leading logistics hub in the Middle East.

This includes $50 billion in airport investments and nearly $40 billion in new aircraft orders, with the remaining $10 billion allocated to various projects, including $5 billion for logistics zones at major airports in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam.

The event will convene more than 5,000 aviation experts and leaders from more than 100 countries to shape the future of aviation, including executives from international carriers, all major global manufacturers, airport executives, industry leaders and regulators.

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China Flags More Policy Measures to Bolster Yuan

People shop around for prosperity decorations for the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year, at a New Year Bazaar in Beijing, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP)
People shop around for prosperity decorations for the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year, at a New Year Bazaar in Beijing, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP)
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China Flags More Policy Measures to Bolster Yuan

People shop around for prosperity decorations for the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year, at a New Year Bazaar in Beijing, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP)
People shop around for prosperity decorations for the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year, at a New Year Bazaar in Beijing, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP)

China announced more tools to support its weak currency on Monday, unveiling plans to park more dollars in Hong Kong to bolster the yuan and to improve capital flows by allowing companies to borrow more overseas.

A dominant dollar, sliding Chinese bond yields and the threat of higher trade barriers when Donald Trump begins his US presidency next week have left the yuan wallowing around 16-month lows, spurring the central bank into action.

The People's Bank of China (PBOC) has tried other means to arrest the sliding yuan since late last year, including warnings against speculative moves and efforts to shore up yields.

On Monday, authorities warned again against speculating against the yuan. The PBOC raised the limits for offshore borrowings by companies, ostensibly to allow more foreign exchange to flow in.

PBOC Governor Pan Gongsheng meanwhile told the Asia Financial Forum in Hong Kong that the central bank will substantially increase the proportion of China's foreign exchange reserves in Hong Kong, without providing details.

China's foreign reserves stood at around $3.2 trillion at the end of December. Not much is known about where the reserves are invested.

"Today's comments from the PBOC indicate that currency stability remains an important priority for the central bank, despite the market often discussing the possibility of intentional devaluation to offset tariffs," said Lynn Song, chief economist for Greater China at ING.

"Increasing China's foreign reserves will give more ammunition to defend the currency if the market situation eventually necessitates it."

China's onshore yuan traded at 7.3318 per dollar as of 0450 GMT on Monday, not far from a 16-month low of 7.3328 hit on Friday.

It has lost more than 3% to the dollar since the US election in early November, on worries that Trump's threats of fresh trade tariffs will heap more pressure on the struggling Chinese economy.

The central bank has been setting its official midpoint guidance on the firmer side of market projections since mid-November, which analysts say is a sign of unease over the yuan's decline.

Monday's announcements underscore the PBOC's challenges and its juggling act as it seeks to revive economic growth by keeping cash conditions easy, while also trying to douse a runaway bond rally and simultaneously stabilize the currency amid political and economic uncertainty.

It has in recent days unveiled other measures. In efforts to prevent yields from falling too much and to control circulation of yuan offshore, it said it is suspending treasury bond purchases but plans to issue huge amounts of bills in Hong Kong.

Gary Ng, senior economist at Natixis, said while China's onshore market has a much better pool of yuan deposits, Hong Kong plays a "significant role with higher turnover driven by FX swaps and spot transactions."

"This means that Hong Kong can be a venue for supporting the yuan through trading activities and potential investments."

Data on Monday showed China's exports gained momentum in December, with imports also showing recovery, although the export spike at the year-end was in part fueled by factories rushing inventory overseas as they braced for increased trade risks under a Trump presidency.