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Saudi Arabia’s GAMI Concludes Participation in Farnborough Int’l Airshow 2024

GAMI participated in various international meetings and partnerships aimed at enhancing cooperation in the military and defense field and exchanging expertise. (SPA)
GAMI participated in various international meetings and partnerships aimed at enhancing cooperation in the military and defense field and exchanging expertise. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia’s GAMI Concludes Participation in Farnborough Int’l Airshow 2024

GAMI participated in various international meetings and partnerships aimed at enhancing cooperation in the military and defense field and exchanging expertise. (SPA)
GAMI participated in various international meetings and partnerships aimed at enhancing cooperation in the military and defense field and exchanging expertise. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI) concluded its participation in Farnborough International Airshow, held recently in London, UK, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Saturday.

GAMI's goal through this engagement was to enable national and major international companies in the defense industry in achieving national targets in the process of localizing the sector, with more than 50% of government spending on military equipment and services by 2030, by creating an investment environment that encourages, supports, and welcomes investors from across the globe.

During the airshow, GAMI Governor Eng. Ahmad Abdulaziz Al-Ohali presided over the signing of agreements between Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI), Airbus Helicopters, and Lockheed Martin. The agreements aim to boost local capabilities and support GAMI's efforts to develop the aviation and aerospace sector in the region.

One agreement entails SAMI Alsalam Aerospace Industries becoming part of a select group of 14 nations that have approved service centers for the maintenance, repair, and overhaul of Lockheed Martin's C-130 Hercules aircraft, based on the most stringent international quality criteria. The agreement also covers services for systems and structural modifications.

As per the terms of the agreement, Sami Alsalam Aerospace Industries offers assistance to operators of these aircraft both regionally and globally.

As per the other agreement, SAMI commits to localize helicopter maintenance, repair and overhaul in partnership with Airbus Helicopters, to enhance Saudi Arabia’s capabilities in helicopter repair services.

During the show, GAMI participated in various international meetings and partnerships aimed at enhancing cooperation in the military and defense field and exchanging expertise. GAMI also showcased the supply chains it has established to bolster promising investment opportunities for local and foreign SMEs, highlighting the local capabilities in the Kingdom's military industries sector that fulfill the operational requirements of military forces.

GAMI also highlighted its primary responsibilities, domestic priorities, localization and empowerment initiatives, and appealing investment incentives in the military sector. It emphasized the capabilities of the Saudi military and defense industries, along with the significant accomplishments in developing industrial and service capabilities in the Kingdom, in line with its strategic objective to ensure that over 50% of government spending on military equipment and services is directed towards domestic suppliers by 2030.

GAMI’S participation in international exhibitions focusing on defense and security reflects one of the goals for which it was established, which is to review the capabilities of the military industries sector in the Kingdom and boost its essential role in building a vibrant and prosperous economy by creating and developing an encouraging investment environment for military industries.

Through its unified platform for military industries on its website, GAMI offers services for military licensing, human capital development, military standards and specifications, localization, and military industries. It offers its services to individuals, local companies, government entities, and educational institutions.

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Business

Fire, Smoke Upend Western Canada’s Summer Tourism Season

A helicopter works a forest fire outside of Jasper, Alberta, Canada, on Friday July 26, 2024. (Reuters)
A helicopter works a forest fire outside of Jasper, Alberta, Canada, on Friday July 26, 2024. (Reuters)
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Fire, Smoke Upend Western Canada’s Summer Tourism Season

A helicopter works a forest fire outside of Jasper, Alberta, Canada, on Friday July 26, 2024. (Reuters)
A helicopter works a forest fire outside of Jasper, Alberta, Canada, on Friday July 26, 2024. (Reuters)

Severe wildfire seasons are increasingly hurting western Canada's lucrative tourism industry, with some visitors beginning to avoid the busy late-summer months due to concerns about uncontrolled blazes, smoke-filled skies and road closures.

After a scorching start to July, nearly 600 wildfires are now ablaze across British Columbia and Alberta, including a huge fire that this week devastated the picturesque tourist town of Jasper in the Canadian Rockies.

Dozens of communities, including popular holiday spots in British Columbia's Kootenay region, are under evacuation orders and several highways are closed.

This year's surge in wildfire activity comes after Canada endured its worst-ever year for wildfires in 2023, when more than 15 million hectares (37 million acres) burned, including parts of the city of West Kelowna in the heart of British Columbia's wine region.

Ellen Walker-Matthews, head of the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association, said the industry was seeing a lot more last-minute travel decisions instead of booking in advance.

"It's a huge blow. July and August are traditionally the busiest months in the region," said Walker-Matthews, adding that while her region has been relatively unscathed by wildfires this summer, some visitors are choosing to avoid interior British Columbia altogether.

The members of the British Columbia Lodging and Campgrounds Association are reporting a 5-15% drop in bookings from a year ago, with the biggest declines coming from the hotter Okanagan and Cariboo regions, said Joss Penny, who heads the association.

"The concern is that this is something we have to live with and we have it every year now," said Penny.

Although wildfires in Canada's forests are natural and common, scientists say drier, hotter conditions fueled by climate change are leading to more volatile and frequent blazes.

'SMOKEY SKIES'

Some events, like the Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Festival, usually held in August, have now been rescheduled to earlier in the summer to avoid what is now seen as peak smoke season. The festival, which was cancelled last year due to nearby wildfires, was this year moved to July to benefit from "less smokey skies."

Wildfires and extreme climatic events are prompting tourists to "change their plans not just temporarily, but permanently," said Elizabeth Halpenny, a tourism researcher and professor at the University of Alberta, noting that seasonal workers in the sector are often the hardest hit as they have few protections during a bad season or amid a cataclysmic fire.

Tourism contributed C$7.2 billion to the British Columbia economy in 2022, and C$9.9 billion to Alberta in 2023, according to the latest government data.

Jasper National Park is one of Canada's premier tourist destinations, with more than 2 million visitors a year flocking to see its pristine mountain landscapes and abundant wildlife, including grizzly bears, moose and elk.

Kelly Torrens, vice-president of product at international tour company Kensington Tours, described western Canada as a bucket-list destination. But the company now has 49 trips that were supposed to pass through Jasper this season in limbo. Six others were forced to evacuate the park when the fire hit.

Parks Canada has cancelled all camping reservations within Jasper National Park until Aug. 6 and with potentially 50% of the town's structures destroyed by fire, the cleanup and rebuild could take years.

Halpenny is among those hedging their bets.

"I've booked a campsite stay in the mountain parks but at the same time, I booked a campsite out on the prairie somewhere and that's my backup plan because I don't want to miss out on my vacation with my family."