Saudi Arabia to Host Global Aviation Negotiations Event in December 2023

Saudi Arabia will host the 15th International Conference on Air Services Negotiations of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Riyadh in December 2023. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia will host the 15th International Conference on Air Services Negotiations of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Riyadh in December 2023. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia to Host Global Aviation Negotiations Event in December 2023

Saudi Arabia will host the 15th International Conference on Air Services Negotiations of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Riyadh in December 2023. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia will host the 15th International Conference on Air Services Negotiations of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Riyadh in December 2023. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia announced Saturday that it will host the 15th International Conference on Air Services Negotiations (ICAN) of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Riyadh in December 2023.

Minister of Transport and Logistics Services and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) Eng. Saleh bin Nasser al-Jasser said the conference is an important platform for member states to discuss ways of organizing and managing the air transport sector.

GACA will represent the Kingdom at the event.

Choosing the Kingdom to host the conference indicates its position and effective contributions in the aviation sector at the global level, Jasser stressed.

It is also recognition of its efforts to bolster air connectivity in line with the National Strategy for Transport and Logistics Services, which is based on the Kingdom's Vision 2030, he remarked.

President of GACA Abdulaziz al-Duailej said: “ICAN 2023 will be a global platform to showcase how we are creating opportunities for the world through the Saudi Aviation Strategy, following our hosting of the Future Aviation Forum earlier this year.”

GACA looks forward to hosting regulators from around the world and to the event making significant progress in reconnecting the world following the COVID-19 pandemic, Duailej added.

The event will provide countries with a central meeting place to conduct bilateral, regional or international air services negotiations and consultations, as well as networking opportunities for policy makers, regulators, air operators, service providers and other stakeholders. More than 160 countries attended previous sessions.

The Saudi Aviation Strategy aims to create a global investment environment that empowers the sector’s contribution to the Kingdom’s GDP while meeting its growing cargo needs.



China's SAIC, Huawei to Partner in Developing New Smart EVs

FILE - Chinese men hand out national flags during national day holidays near a Huawei pop up store in Beijing, Oct. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)
FILE - Chinese men hand out national flags during national day holidays near a Huawei pop up store in Beijing, Oct. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)
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China's SAIC, Huawei to Partner in Developing New Smart EVs

FILE - Chinese men hand out national flags during national day holidays near a Huawei pop up store in Beijing, Oct. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)
FILE - Chinese men hand out national flags during national day holidays near a Huawei pop up store in Beijing, Oct. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)

Chinese automaker SAIC Motor said on Friday it would partner with tech company Huawei to develop new "globally competitive" smart electric vehicles.
The tie-up sees yet another state-owned automaker betting on partnerships with Huawei, which has risen to prominence as a supplier of smart driving technologies, to boost EV sales, Reuters reported.
"The strategic cooperation between SAIC and Huawei will further leverage their respective advantages and promote China's automotive industry to a new level in the intelligent era," SAIC said in the statement.
The deal signed on Friday provides for the two companies to cooperate strategically on manufacturing, supply chain management and sales services, SAIC said in a statement, without revealing the marquee of the co-developed lineup.
The state-owned automaker reported a decline of 20% last year in overall vehicle sales, amid a brutal price war and bruising competition in the world's largest auto market.
Its venture with Volkswagen saw sales down 5.5% while SAIC-GM's sales slumped 56.5%.
SAIC, hit with the EU's steepest extra tariffs of 35.3%, also suffered a slide of 14% in overseas shipments in 2024.
The deal adds to Huawei's expanding partnerships with state-owned automakers such as Changan, Dongfeng and BAIC Motor.
Changan set up a joint venture with Huawei and battery maker CATL in 2022 to make Avatr EVs, the sales of which more than doubled in 2024 on the year.
Dongfeng-backed Seres more than tripled its annual sales of Aito-branded cars in 2024, with the best-selling models equipped with Huawei's advanced driver assistance systems and sold in the tech firm's showrooms nationwide.
Huawei and BAIC launched their first EV under the joint brand Stelato in August.