emirates7 - The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) hosted the Strategic Civil Aviation Retreat under the theme “Leading the Future of Aviation” at the Etihad Museum in Dubai.
The retreat convened more than 70 senior leaders, officials, and industry experts from across the civil aviation ecosystem, 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 address, Al Suwaidi underscored the civil aviation sector’s pivotal role in driving economic and developmental growth, extending beyond air transport to encompass industrial development, human capital, advanced technologies, and innovation.
He noted that the UAE’s aviation sector has played a central role in establishing the country as a globally recognised benchmark for excellence and reliability. He emphasised that sustaining this position requires a flexible and forward-looking regulatory framework that evolves in line with sector needs, supports growth, and strengthens strategic partnerships that deliver shared value.
The retreat featured 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. The presentation highlighted alignment with UAE Vision 2031, the UAE Centennial 2071, national development priorities, ICAO regulations and policies, and emerging global trends.
He stressed that the retreat is designed to generate practical, outcome-driven initiatives that enhance competitiveness, enable innovation, support sustainable growth, and strengthen national human capital.
Participants took part in three thematic workshops aligned with 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 derived from the discussions, to be developed and implemented in the next phase. These efforts are expected to further strengthen the UAE’s position as a leading global hub for civil aviation.
The retreat convened more than 70 senior leaders, officials, and industry experts from across the civil aviation ecosystem, 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 address, Al Suwaidi underscored the civil aviation sector’s pivotal role in driving economic and developmental growth, extending beyond air transport to encompass industrial development, human capital, advanced technologies, and innovation.
He noted that the UAE’s aviation sector has played a central role in establishing the country as a globally recognised benchmark for excellence and reliability. He emphasised that sustaining this position requires a flexible and forward-looking regulatory framework that evolves in line with sector needs, supports growth, and strengthens strategic partnerships that deliver shared value.
The retreat featured 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. The presentation highlighted alignment with UAE Vision 2031, the UAE Centennial 2071, national development priorities, ICAO regulations and policies, and emerging global trends.
He stressed that the retreat is designed to generate practical, outcome-driven initiatives that enhance competitiveness, enable innovation, support sustainable growth, and strengthen national human capital.
Participants took part in three thematic workshops aligned with 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 derived from the discussions, to be developed and implemented in the next phase. These efforts are expected to further strengthen the UAE’s position as a leading global hub for civil aviation.