The Saudi Ministry of Transport and Logistics has signed an agreement in air transport services between the kingdom and Bulgaria, on the sidelines of the Future Investment Initiative (FII), held in Riyadh.
The agreement was signed by Eng. Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, Minister of Transport and Logistics and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), and Mr. Hristo Aleksiev, Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Policies and Minister of Transport and Communications.
It aims to strengthen bilateral cooperation in air transport based on mutual benefit and mutual respect, in accordance with the regulations, laws, and instructions in effect in both countries, as well as to establish regulatory frameworks for bilateral air transport in a safe, orderly, and sound manner following the principles established by the Chicago Convention in 1944.
The air transport agreement falls within the objectives of the civil aviation sector strategy, which aims to build international partnerships and sign new bilateral agreements to support the strategy’s ambitious goals of increasing the Kingdom’s air connectivity with the rest of the world, reaching 250 destinations to become a global logistics platform, and reaching a passenger target of 330 million by 2030.
Beginning in 2023, direct flights will be offered between Varna and Dammam and Sofia and Riyadh. The flag carrier Bulgaria Air and low-cost carrier Flynas will run the upcoming air routes, Sofia-Riyadh-Sofia and Varna-Dammam-Varna.
Mr. Aleksiev and Innovation and Growth Minister Mr. Alexander Pulev conveyed the message that Bulgaria views Saudi Arabia as a strategic partner in the Middle East. The delegation also discussed cooperation in public and private projects in robotics, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, and logistic services using drones.
