Saudi Arabia unveils first international aviation academy

Prince Sultan Bin Salman, chairman of the Saudi Space Commission and chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Aviation Academy (Tayaran), launched on Wednesday the Kingdom’s first international aviation academy at King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) in Rabigh.

The academy aims to qualify national cadres in the aviation industry based on the highest international standards in line with the Kingdom’s future goals, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

It will train 1,650 cadets annually, including 1,200 trainees in aircraft maintenance and 450 pilots, making it the largest hub of its kind in the Middle East.

“The Kingdom’s aviation sector needs about 8,800 pilots and 11,700 aircraft maintenance technicians in the civil and military sector over the next seven years,” Mohammed Al-Subaie, director general of Tayaran, said.

The facility was established as a partnership between many strategic investors across the Kingdom, including Saudi Aramco, Ministry of Education, and Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia).