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To further transform Saudi Arabia in line with its Vision 2030, the Kingdom has officially announced that its Future Aviation Forum (FAF) will be held in Riyadh. It will be the global hub for aviation policymaking and investment discussions. The conference that will be supported by the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) will host regulators, airline leaders, OEMs, and lessors. Airport operators across continents are to discuss capacity expansion, sustainability, digitalization, and air connectivity growth. According to the Bastille Post and regional aviation communications, the forum is likely to follow the footsteps of past editions as it will support the Saudi Arabian interest of establishing itself as a major aviation hub connecting Asia, Europe, and Africa.
The aviation growth plan of Saudi Arabia is supported by the plans of its National Aviation Strategy to manage 330 million passengers in a year (2030), to expand to more than 250 destinations, and to increase air cargo capacity to 4.5 million tonnes per year. The Future Aviation Forum has been developed as one of the policy platforms to bring international stakeholders in line with these goals.
Based on official Saudi aviation communication, past FAF versions have drawn thousands of delegates and announcements to the tune of multi-billion dollars in aircraft acquisition, airport, and sustainability infrastructure and partnerships.
The location of Riyadh is also connected with the construction of the King Salman International Airport, which is estimated to be one of the largest aviation centres in the world after it opens. Conducting the forum will strengthen the plan by the Kingdom to match the infrastructure size with the global connectivity goals.
The Future Aviation Forum, aimed at 2026, is to be based on four specific pillars in line with the National Aviation Strategy of Saudi Arabia. It is increasing the capacity to accommodate 330 million passengers each year by 2030, advancing decarbonisation with Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) ecosystems, faster passenger-centric digital innovation, and enhancing global transmission of regulations. Conversations will probably cover scaling SAF production in the Kingdom, integrating next-generation aircraft with lower fuel burn profiles, and modernisation of air traffic management systems. This is to meet the forecasted traffic increase, as spelt out in official Saudi aviation strategy documents and submissions of past forums.
The aviation industry in Saudi Arabia experienced a fast structural growth over the recent years. The Kingdom has introduced Riyadh Air and has made big fleet orders of more than 100 aircraft transactions among the national airlines. It has embarked on the construction of King Salman International Airport, which is expected to accommodate close to 120 million passengers per year by the year 2030, although the long-term capacity is even greater. These efforts are an indication of a well-planned infrastructure and fleet development approach that is intended to make the country a global connectivity hub between Asia, Europe, and Africa.
Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistics Services Saleh Al-Jasser has previously emphasised, in official aviation statements, that the Future Aviation Forum aims to
"shape the future of global aviation through collaboration and innovation."
His remarks, cited in international aviation coverage, underscore the Kingdom’s intent to move beyond infrastructure development toward regulatory leadership and sustainability transition.
The scale of capital deployment can be demonstrated by the development of King Salman International Airport, with a capacity to handle up to 120 million passengers annually by 2030, as well as the size of commitment orders by the major fleet of national companies (more than 100 orders).
The previous iterations of the Future Aviation Forum brought thousands of attendees representing more than 100 countries, such as aviation ministers, airline executives, OEM executives, and lessors, and large-scale business and sustainability agreements were announced. In the previous forums, major emphasis was made on decarbonisation routes, digitalization, and recovery post-pandemic plans, making Saudi Arabia a proactive convenor in the global aviation debate and not a market player.
Riyadh is enhancing its status as the gateway between emerging markets and established aviation economies by using the 2026 forum as a high-level policy and investment platform.
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