Commander of the Royal Saudi Air Force Lieutenant General Prince Turki bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz headed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s delegation participating in this year’s El Alamein International Airshow, which took place on 07-10 September in the Arab Republic of Egypt, with the participation of prominent leaders and decision-makers in the aviation, space, and defense sectors worldwide.
The Kingdom’s delegation included General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) President Abdulaziz Al-Duailej, along with several officials from the Ministry of Defense and GACA, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
Lieutenant General Prince Turki bin Bandar and the accompanying delegation visited the pavilions of companies participating in the airshow, where they viewed the latest aircraft, technologies, and services in commercial and military aviation, space, and defense, and watched the aerial displays accompanying the opening.
Lieutenant General Prince Turki bin Bandar also attended the opening of the “Future of Space and Aviation Technology” Forum, held as part of the airshow’s preliminary events, in the presence of several air force commanders, heads of aviation authorities, and chief executive officers of major aviation and space companies.
The forum discussed various trends and technologies related to the future of the aviation, space, and defense industries, particularly artificial intelligence and autonomous systems, as well as advances in air capabilities and multidomain operations.
On the sidelines of the forum, Lieutenant General Prince Turki bin Bandar met with a number of Air Force Commanders to review military cooperation and ways to develop it, and discuss a number of issues of mutual interest.
Meanwhile, GACA President Abdulaziz Al-Duailej was accompanied by the Deputy Commander of the Royal Saudi Air Force, Major General Talal Al-Ghamdi, and the Kingdom’s Ambassador to Egypt Saleh bin Eid Al-Hosseini.
The group visited several pavilions displaying the latest products, technologies and services from the fields of civil and military aviation and space.
Among the companies exhibiting at the show, were Saudia Group, Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMA), as well as the Royal Saudi Air Force.
The officials were briefed on the latest technologies in civil aviation, as well as the newest solutions in aircraft maintenance, repair, advanced training and defense systems.
During his visit, Al-Duailej met Egypt’s Civil Aviation Minister Sameh Ahmed El-Hefny, with whom he discussed ways to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in civil aviation, investment opportunities and various other topics of mutual interest.
Al-Duailej also met the CEO of AviLease, Edward O’Brien, and talked about the company’s strategy, objectives and areas for possible cooperation.
More than 300 companies from 100 countries took part in the airshow, along with representatives of international and regional organizations and experts in the fields of aviation, aerospace and defense.
The Kingdom’s General Authority of Civil Aviation is focused on strengthening bilateral relationships, fostering commercial partnerships, exploring investment opportunities and identifying areas for collaboration to enhance the aviation sector.
The Kingdom’s civil aviation sector has undergone a resurgence in 2024. In the first six months of the year, passenger numbers rose 17 percent to 62 million, while flights rose 12 percent to 446,000, surpassing pre-COVID-19 levels.
Lastly, the Royal Saudi Air Force team performed aerial displays featuring Hawk T-165 jets as part of El Alamein International Airshow 2026, currently being held in Egypt.
The displays showcased a high level of precision, professionalism, and coordination, featuring a series of aerial formations and maneuvers that captivated the audience and exhibition visitors.
The Air Force’s aerial displays over El Alamein were among the event’s highlights, showcasing the pilots’ exceptional skills, precision, discipline, and seamless coordination.
