Summary
- COMAC visited Saudia Group in Saudi Arabia to explore opportunities in aviation industry localization.
- COMAC aims to promote its C919 and ARJ21 aircraft in the Saudi Arabian and broader Middle Eastern markets.
- The rapidly warming relations between China and Middle Eastern countries in recent years provide the broader context for COMAC to strengthen its ties with Saudi Arabia.
Last week, a delegation from the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), led by its Chairman, He Dongfeng, visited the headquarters of the Saudia Group in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This visit is believed to be part of their participation in the Future Aviation Forum held in Riyadh.
According to a statement by Saudia Group spokesperson Abdullah Alshahrani, during COMAC’s visit to Jeddah, besides visiting the Saudia Group headquarters, He Dongfeng and his delegation also toured the MRO village of aviation service provider Saudia Technic.
This MRO village, located adjacent to King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED) in Jeddah, covers an area of approximately one million square meters. It is expected to be completed by 2025 and will accommodate manufacturing operations for global aerospace companies.
COMAC seeks common interests with the Middle East
According to UAE news agency, The National, during He Dongfeng’s visit, Saudia Group offered COMAC the opportunity to establish an assembly line in Jeddah.
One of COMAC’s goals in participating in the Future Aviation Forum was to market its current aircraft models, the C919 and ARJ21 regional aircraft, to Middle Eastern customers.
This interaction is driven by COMAC’s strategic initiative to expand its global network, the deepening relationship between Saudi Arabia and China, and Saudi Arabia’s current emphasis on developing emerging manufacturing industries.
The Saudi civil aviation authority, the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with COMAC to explore opportunities to localize the aviation industry and develop the local supply chain.
Photo: Saudi Press Agency
At the Future Aviation Forum in Riyadh, He Dongfeng stated:
“COMAC hopes to enhance global connectivity and diversity by contributing to the development of Saudi Arabian air transport.”
He also mentioned that COMAC’s C919 and ARJ21 aircraft can serve Saudi Arabia’s growing domestic and regional aviation market. He said,
“COMAC plans to strengthen connectivity within a 2,000-kilometer radius, covering the Arabian Peninsula, the Middle East, Turkey, North Africa, and other regions.”
COMAC is also developing a long-range wide-body aircraft, the C929. He Dongfeng explained that this aircraft could support Saudi Arabia’s plans to establish an international hub. Initially, this project was a joint venture between China and Russia named CR929, but it has been delayed due to Russia’s withdrawal.
Related
Russia Pulls Out Of The CR929 Widebody Program
6 years after the establishment of the joint venture CRAIC, Russia withdrew from the high-profile China-Russia CR929 project.
However, according to AGBI—Arabian Gulf Business Insight, Saudi Arabia’s newly established national airline will not consider COMAC for its narrow-body aircraft order, which will be announced later this year. A Riyadh Air spokesperson told AGBI,
“The narrow-body aircraft order is in its final stages, with negotiations ongoing between Airbus and Boeing.”
Currently, in addition to addressing the issue of increasing production capacity, COMAC’s C919 project also needs to obtain EASA certification to enter the mainstream European market. However, there have been few reports on the progress of EASA’s review.
Saudi Arabia is investing billions of dollars in its “Vision 2030” plan to diversify its economy, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and develop a vibrant private sector.
This plan includes a massive expansion of the aviation sector, such as establishing a new airline, ordering new aircraft, and planning the construction of a large international airport to compete with its regional rival, the current Gulf tourism hub, the UAE.
Photo: Riyadh Air
In recent years, cooperation between China and Arab countries has grown increasingly close. The first China-Arab States Summit was held on December 9, 2022, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping and national leaders from all Arab countries.
This week, the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum will be held in Beijing on May 30. Chinese President Xi Jinping will again attend the opening ceremony of the meeting, indicating that China has placed cooperation with Arab countries as a strategic priority for the nation.
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Source: The National, AGBI