Saudi Arabia has entered into an agreement with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to make it easier for people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 to travel internationally.
According to the statement, the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) and the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) have signed the Operational Protocol agreement. It was inked to link the IATA Travel Pass app with the kingdom’s Tawakkalna app, developed by the SDAIA.
The agreement covers aspects such as streamlining travel procedures following best international practices, accepting the health passport platform as an initiative to digitize health certificates from trusted sources and accredited laboratories in collaboration with airlines, and cooperating on the integration of the Tawakkalna and IATA applications.
The SDAIA and GACA agreement intend to establish a general framework for areas of cooperation between the two parties, such as assisting in the facilitation of travel procedures and verifying the health eligibility of travelers under best international practices for civil aviation legislation to protect passengers’ and stakeholders’ rights.
Dr. Abdullah Al-Ghamdi, chairman of SDAIA said that, “The success of linking the health passport would contribute to supporting the efforts of government agencies in combating the coronavirus pandemic by easily identifying the health status of travelers and digitizing travel procedures to and from the Kingdom.”
GACA President Mr. Abdulaziz Al-Duailej noted that the authority aims to encourage the Tawakkalna system and improve its cooperation with IATA to provide integrated digital solutions that support the restoration of air traffic to and from the Kingdom.
The authority also works to improve the customer experience at airports or using logistics services that include connecting with other modes of transportation, making it easier to board and exit planes, and providing a seamless and flexible journey for passengers. The Kingdom is one of the first countries that has succeeded in linking a government platform to an international platform.
