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.



UK Treasury Chief Heading to China to Revive Suspended Economic, Financial Talks

FILE PHOTO: Chancellor Rachel Reeves speaks to the media after a tour of Maidstone Hospital on December 10, 2024 in Maidstone, Britain. Dan Kitwood/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Chancellor Rachel Reeves speaks to the media after a tour of Maidstone Hospital on December 10, 2024 in Maidstone, Britain. Dan Kitwood/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
TT

UK Treasury Chief Heading to China to Revive Suspended Economic, Financial Talks

FILE PHOTO: Chancellor Rachel Reeves speaks to the media after a tour of Maidstone Hospital on December 10, 2024 in Maidstone, Britain. Dan Kitwood/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Chancellor Rachel Reeves speaks to the media after a tour of Maidstone Hospital on December 10, 2024 in Maidstone, Britain. Dan Kitwood/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

Britain's Treasury chief is travelling to China this weekend to discuss economic and financial cooperation between the countries, as the UK's Labour government seeks to reset strained ties with Beijing.
The Treasury said Friday that Rachel Reeves will travel to Beijing and Shanghai and will meet with her Chinese government counterpart, Vice Premier He Lifeng, Reuters reported.
Reeves' trip is expected to revive the China-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue — annual bilateral talks that have been suspended since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and deteriorating relations in recent years.
A series of spying allegations from both sides, China’s support for Russia in the Ukraine war and a crackdown on civil liberties in Hong Kong, a former British colony, have soured ties.
Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey and the UK Financial Conduct Authority's chief executive, Nikhil Rathi, are also in the delegation, according to the Treasury. Representatives from some of Britain’s biggest financial services firms will join the trip.
Officials did not provide details, but media reports have said senior executives from HSBC Holdings and Standard Chartered were included.
Reeves' visit comes after Foreign Secretary David Lammy travelled to China in October and Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Brazil in November.
The meetings form part of a bid by Starmer, who was elected as leader in July, to strengthen political and economic ties with China, the UK's fifth-largest trading partner.
Officials said Starmer wanted a “pragmatic” approach to working with Beijing on global stability, climate change and the transition to clean energy.
But some in the opposition Conservative Party have criticized his stance and said trade ties should not come at the expense of national security and human rights concerns.
British political leaders and intelligence chiefs have warned repeatedly of the security threats that China poses. Calls to tackle the challenge grew louder last month when it emerged that an alleged Chinese spy had cultivated close ties with Prince Andrew and carried out “covert and deceptive activity” for China's ruling Communist Party, according to officials.
Nevertheless, Lammy told reporters in London on Thursday that “there are many areas of trade that don’t impact on national security.”
He said Reeves “will repeat many of the messages that I took to China.”
“What we’ve said is in this complex relationship with a global superpower, we are guided by three Cs”: challenge, compete and cooperate, for example in areas including health and climate challenges, Lammy added.