Source : WAM
The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) hosted the Strategic Civil Aviation Retreat at the Etihad Museum in Dubai under the theme “Leading the Future of Aviation.”
The event brought together over 70 senior leaders, officials, and industry experts from across the civil aviation sector, led by Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Director-General of the GCAA.
Participants included Eng. Salem Butti Salem Al Qubaisi, Director-General of the UAE Space Agency; Mohammed Abdulla Lengawi, Director-General of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority; Ali Salem Al Midfa, Chairman of the Sharjah International Airport Authority; Tahnoon Saif, CEO of Mohammed Bin Rashid Aerospace Hub; Sara Al Memari, Acting CEO of Strata Manufacturing; Ahmed Safa, Head of Engineering and MRO at Emirates Group; and Dr. Abdelrahman Bin Taliah, Director of Corporate and Government Affairs at Air Arabia, Captain Mohamed Ahmad Anwahi, Deputy Accountable Manager and VP Training at Etihad Airways; Captain Mohamed Alhammadi, Manager – Compliance Monitoring Operations at flydubai, in addition to representatives from airlines and aviation-related entities.
In his opening remarks, Al Suwaidi highlighted the civil aviation sector’s critical role in driving economic and developmental growth, emphasizing its impact beyond air transport to include industrial development, human capital, advanced technologies, and innovation.
He noted that the UAE’s aviation sector has been instrumental in establishing the country as a global benchmark for excellence and reliability. He stressed that maintaining this position requires a flexible and forward-looking regulatory framework that adapts to sector needs, supports growth, and strengthens strategic partnerships to create shared value.
The retreat included a strategic presentation by Eng. Yousuf Hashim Al Azizi, Assistant Director-General for Strategy and International Affairs at the GCAA, who outlined the sector’s key strategic pillars. His presentation emphasized alignment with UAE Vision 2031, the UAE Centennial 2071, national development priorities, ICAO regulations and policies, and emerging global trends.
He explained that the retreat is designed to produce actionable, outcome-oriented initiatives to enhance competitiveness, foster innovation, support sustainable growth, and strengthen national human capital.
Participants engaged in three thematic workshops reflecting the sector’s strategic priorities: the “Sustainable Economic Growth” workshop led by Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi; the “Talent Enablement and Human Capital” workshop led by Omar bin Ghalib, Deputy Director-General of the GCAA; and the “Digital Transformation and Innovation” workshop led by Ahmed Khalifa Al Houqani, Chief AI Officer at the GCAA.
The retreat concluded with a broad consensus on advancing a set of joint initiatives discussed during the sessions, which will be developed and implemented in the next phase, further reinforcing the UAE’s status as a leading global hub for civil aviation.
