Muscat: The management of major airports in the GCC decided to collaborate on Wednesday in areas such as innovation, technology, youth investment, and the improvement of safety, security, and supply chains.
This decision was announced at the first Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Airports CEOs Forum held in Muscat on Wednesday, which was attended by top executives from Dubai, Sharjah, Qatar, Bahrain, and Riyadh airports.
Shaikh Aimen bin Ahmed al Hosni, CEO of Oman Airports, stated that the forum marks the beginning of regional efforts towards integration in the airport sector, recognising the strategic importance of GCC airports on the global aviation map.
He emphasised the importance of exchanging expertise and promoting cooperation among Gulf airports, particularly in the areas of innovation, technology, youth investment, safety, security, and shared supply chains. Al Hosni highlighted the aligned goals and objectives of all GCC airports, emphasising unity as they strive for global leadership as key hubs in international aviation.
Al Hosni also mentioned the establishment of working groups to address the topics discussed during the forum and to develop a road map for the second annual meeting, scheduled to be hosted in Riyadh next year.
He expressed hope that these efforts would further strengthen Gulf-wide cooperation, in line with the economic development strategies of GCC countries and enhance the leading position of their airports.
CEOs of Riyadh and Sharjah airports, in separate statements to the Observer, emphasised the collective efforts needed for sustainable growth in the Middle East. It is worth noting that the number of passengers travelling through Oman's airports increased by 9.3 per cent by the end of July 2024, reaching 8,478,548 passengers on 63,219 flights, compared to 7,757,629 passengers on 59,778 flights by the end of July 2023.
According to the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), the number of passengers travelling through Muscat International Airport reached 7,571,148 by the end of July, representing an 8.9 per cent increase. These passengers travelled on 56,498 flights, marking a 5.8 per cent increase in the number of flights.
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