Aerospace Events

Cranfield University and Saudi Arabia sign civil aviation MoU

Posted 31 July 2024

Last week Cranfield University welcomed a delegation from Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) and Prince Sultan University, led by His Excellency Abdulaziz Abdullah Al-duailej, President of GACA, wherein they signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for ‘cooperation in the field of civil aviation’ between Cranfield University, Prince Sultan University and GACA’s Civil Aviation Academy.

Image courtesy Cranfield

The MoU will not only focus on collaboration in aviation research and development between the organisations but also cover training and development across different aviation fields, including potential opportunities for students from Saudi Arabia to study at Cranfield.

The delegation visited Cranfield University’s facilities including the Digital Aviation and Research Centre (DARTeC), the Digital Air Traffic Control Centre and a look inside the Aerospace Integration Research Centre with the chance to experience the Rolls-Royce Future Systems flight simulator.

The President of GACA also gave a speech to Cranfield staff and students, detailing his vision for the future of Saudi Arabian aviation as a tourism and logistical hub and expressing his admiration for the quality of the facilities he had seen at Cranfield.

The MoU was then signed by Professor Dame Karen Holford DBE FREng, Chief Executive and Vice-Chancellor of Cranfield University, Dr Ahmad AlYamani, President of Prince Sultan University, and Ahmed AlZahrani, President of the Saudi Civil Aviation Academy.

Professor Dame Karen Holford said: “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has a detailed, ambitious vision for the future of aviation which makes them a perfect partner for Cranfield. The future of the air transport sector is shaped through partnerships, and together we can help aviation evolve to meet the challenges of tomorrow.”