Flight Daily News

By Mike Martin at the Farnborough air show

Companies operating within Saudi Arabia’s expanding aerospace sector have been urged to seek greater overseas exposure through international air shows.

The call came from Maj Gen Ahmed Al-Qahtani, aviation commander of the Royal Saudi Naval Force, who heads an official delegation from the kingdom to Farnborough.

Touring the Middle East pavilion – the largest in the initiative’s two-year history – at Farnborough, Maj Gen Al-Qahtani visited the sole exhibitor from Saudi Arabia, the Al Raha Group for Technical Services (RGTS).

RGTS has joined the pavilion to source industry leaders looking to set up joint ventures in Saudi Arabia.

Maj Gen Al-Qahtani tours the Middle East pavilion at Farnborough

“This company is displaying great foresight and others should be encouraged to follow its example,” said Maj Gen Al-Qahtani. “The Saudi Arabian aerospace industry has a lot to offer outside of the kingdom and more companies from the country should be participating in regional initiatives of this nature.”

The Middle East Aviation Pavilion is a not-for-profit initiative launched by Fairs and Exhibitions (F&E), the company behind the Dubai airshow and the newly-launched Middle East Business Aviation conference and exhibition being held in the UAE from 31 January-1 February next year.

The Middle East pavilion at Farnborough 2006 is triple the size of the launch edition which burst onto the global aerospace segment two years ago. Companies from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan and Lebanon are featured in the Farnborough 2006 pavilion.