Dubai: The UAE’s aviation sector now leads the world in terms of aviation safety and security following the implementation of the necessary measures to reduce risks in the sector, an official said on Monday.
“[The UAE’s] aviation sector is contributing 16 per cent of the UAE’s economy and 27 per cent of [the] Dubai economy,” Saif Al Suwaidi, CEO General of the Civil Aviation Authority, said. “It is a massive sector and we need to be prepared for the risks and challenges facing the sector. Because of our safety and risk systems, the UAE has became number one worldwide.”
Al Suwaidi was speaking at the third edition of the RIMS Risk Forum Middle East in Dubai, a two-day event organised by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai at Hyatt Regency Creek Dubai Heights.
According to him, there is about Dh600 billion worth of investment in the sector, with 27 national airlines that operate 873 planes.
“We have 10 airports and last year, our airlines transported 125 million passengers. Any small problem in the sector can cause a big impact worldwide,” he said.
Along with the rapid advances in technology, the threats to safety are also on the increase, Al Suwaidi said.
He, however, noted that the UAE’s systems are equipped to tackle any type of threat.
“When we see any risks, the authority takes the steps to stop [them], such as in the case of drones and how they impacted the security of some of our airports,” Al Suwaidi said.
“We figured out the problem rapidly and the authorities issued a law to regulate the use of drones, which helped to tackle the problem. Closing off air space can mean a loss of millions of dirhams.”
On the role played by the forum, Major-General Mohammad Ahmad Al Merri, General Director of the GDRFA-Dubai, said: “The UAE is witnessing rapid developments in all sectors due to the government’s strategy to achieve excellence. The positive feedback from the pervious forums encouraged us to organise it for the third year.”
He stressed that the forum aims to exchange ideas and expertise and spread awareness about crises and risks.
Among the topics addressed by the forum are cyber risks, enterprise risk management and insurance and strategic risk management. A large number of experts, innovators and decision-makers in the field attended the forum.
