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Aviation Meeting in Riyadh Draws Emphasis on Enhancing Capabilities

Saudi Arabia chairs the second meeting of the Steering Committee of Regional Safety Oversight Organization for Middle East and North Africa (MENA RSOO). (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia chairs the second meeting of the Steering Committee of Regional Safety Oversight Organization for Middle East and North Africa (MENA RSOO). (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Aviation Meeting in Riyadh Draws Emphasis on Enhancing Capabilities

Saudi Arabia chairs the second meeting of the Steering Committee of Regional Safety Oversight Organization for Middle East and North Africa (MENA RSOO). (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia chairs the second meeting of the Steering Committee of Regional Safety Oversight Organization for Middle East and North Africa (MENA RSOO). (Asharq Al-Awsat)

President of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Duailej chaired in Riyadh on Tuesday the second meeting of the Steering Committee of Regional Safety Oversight Organization for Middle East and North Africa (MENA RSOO), with the participation of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Arab Civil Aviation Organization and officials in charge of civil aviation authorities in member states.

The meeting was held on the sidelines of the Future Aviation Forum, organized by GACA over three days at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center in Riyadh.

The meeting aimed at following up on the outcomes of steps to announce establishing the organization and embarking on its works, the most important of which is supporting member states in implementing the SSP program to enhance the capabilities of countries in the field of safety oversight.

The meeting looked into areas to realize regional priorities and goals and compliance to international safety oversight requirements, in addition to supporting the implementation of the ICAO General Assembly Resolution No. A39~12 and supporting ICAO's international plans for air safety and navigation GASP & GANP.

Al-Duailej welcomed participants from the member states of the organization, expressing hope for the meeting to reach better experiences and practices in the field of air safety oversight in civil aviation, benefit from expertise and personnel, apply the highest levels of air safety and raise awareness on the latest developments for aviation safety in the MENA region.

He also noted that the meeting is an opportunity for communication and reaching an agreement on the future of the regional organization and to discuss joint issues, praising the continuous efforts of ICAO over the past decade in supporting the establishment of MENA RSOO.

During the meeting, participants exchanged opinions and proposals and means to boost coordination and cooperation among civil aviation authorities and commissions in the region, in addition to following up on the implementation of the outcomes of the first meeting of the steering committee held in 2018, and accrediting the outcomes of the second meeting of the technical committee.

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Ukraine Receives First 3 Bln Euro Tranche of G7 Loan from EU

An explosion of a drone after it hit an apartment building is seen in the sky during a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine January 10, 2025. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich
An explosion of a drone after it hit an apartment building is seen in the sky during a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine January 10, 2025. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich
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Ukraine Receives First 3 Bln Euro Tranche of G7 Loan from EU

An explosion of a drone after it hit an apartment building is seen in the sky during a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine January 10, 2025. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich
An explosion of a drone after it hit an apartment building is seen in the sky during a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine January 10, 2025. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich

Ukraine received its first 3 billion euro ($3.09 billion) tranche of the European Union's portion of the Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) loan agreed for Ukraine by the G7 group of countries, its prime minister Denys Shmyhal said on Friday.

It was the first tranche of EU loan secured by profits from frozen Russian assets, Shmyhal wrote on the Telegram app.

G7 leaders in October agreed to provide some $50 billion in loans to Ukraine via multiple channels.
"Today, we deliver €3 billion to Ukraine, the 1st payment of the EU part of the G7 loan. Giving Ukraine the financial power to continue fighting for its freedom – and prevail," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on social media platform X.

In other economic news, Ukraine's steel output rose by 21.6% in 2024 to 7.58 million metric tons, its producers union said late on Thursday, though fighting that is closing in on the country's only coking coal mine threatens to slash volumes this year.

Steel production has already suffered since Russia's invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, which has led to the destruction of leading steel plants.

Ukraine, formerly a major steel producer and exporter, reported a 70.7% drop in output in 2022 to 6.3 million tons. It fell to 6 million tons in 2023.

The steelmakers' union said in October the potential closure of the Pokrovsk mine, Ukraine's only coking coal mine, could cause steel production to slump to 2-3 million metric tons in 2025.
Advancing Russian forces are less than 2 km (1.24 miles) from the mine, Ukrainian military analyst DeepState said on Friday.
The mine's owner, steelmaker Metinvest BV, said last month it had already halted some operations at the mine and two industry sources said it was operating at 50% capacity.
Producers have said they hope to find coking coal from elsewhere in Ukraine should the mine be seized by Russian troops, but imports would inevitably be needed which would raise costs.