SINGAPORE, 3 October 2024: AVIAREPS, a leading international representation company for aviation, tourism and hospitality, has opened an office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The owned office creates a permanent AVIAREPS presence in Saudi Arabia to provide tailor-made GSA representation services and marketing and public relations support.
The Saudi Arabia office extends the group’s international network to 71 offices in 67 countries.
AVIAREPS CEO Edgar Lacker commented: “ Saudi Arabia offers huge potential, especially for destinations and airlines as well as trade promotion and hospitality clients. We expect demand for international travel to continuously increase and see this as a unique opportunity for our partners to grow in the Middle East.”
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is the largest Arab country in the Middle East. It has the 19th largest economy worldwide, with a GDP amounting to USD1.07 trillion in 2023, steadily growing in recent years.
Tourism in and from the country bounced back well: Outbound tourism from Saudi Arabia recorded a 37% increase in the last years, along with a 74% increase in spending compared to the first half of 2022. Outbound tourism is also projected to grow by 15% until 2027, making the country an interesting market for destinations, airlines, and the hospitality industry alike.
Saudi Arabia has 29 airports, 12 of which are international airports. The busiest one is King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah. It serves as the largest hub for Saudia, the country’s flag carrier and national airline, and as an operating base for national low-cost carriers Flynas and Flyadeal.
AVIAREPS Saudi Arabia operates under the regional leadership of Faraz Ahmed Khan, AVIAREPS Country Manager Saudi Arabia and Glenn Johnston, Vice President Middle East. With the addition of the office in Riyadh, the company’s Middle East network extends to two owned offices serving six countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Global Head of Cargo
Meanwhile, AVIAREPS announced this week the appointment of Frederick Overton as Global Head of Cargo. He will oversee and expand the cargo division, build on existing relationships with airlines, and grow the group’s air cargo expertise and division worldwide. AVIAREPS has been offering GSA services to cargo clients locally for several years and will now expand the business division globally.
