Airbus appoints Eid Al Qahtani as head of new Riyadh headquarters

Saudi Arabia is investing heavily as part of its Vision 2030 plan to expand air connectivity to over 250 destinations. The country plans to launch a new airline called Riyadh Air and could invest up to $100 billion in aviation infrastructure. Partnerships with companies like Airbus are crucial for these ambitions.

In January 2024, Airbus signed an Industrial Participation agreement with the General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI) aimed at growing the industrial ecosystem aligned with Vision 2030. This includes technology transfer and expertise sharing with local companies such as SAAMS (SAMI Airbus Aircraft Maintenance Services), a joint venture between Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) and Airbus.

Riyadh isn't the only location where Airbus has expanded recently. In October, it opened its India and South Asia Headquarters at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport. This facility will serve as a hub for operations across Commercial Aircraft, Helicopters, and Defence and Space units.

India remains a key market for Airbus due to major customers like IndiGo and Air India. The company procures more than one billion euros annually from India's supply chain for components and services, supporting over 15,000 jobs.