The 4th edition of Global Airports Forum (GAF), to be held at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Centre (RICEC) from December 16 to 17, will see over 50 new exhibitors including flag-carrier Saudia and global travel technology giant Amadeus, along with Airport Innovation Trail and Airport Innovation Hub making its debut.
Organised by Niche Ideas, with Matarat
Holding, an arm of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), as its main
sponsor, the largest dedicated airport B2B platform in the Kingdom will feature
over 250 exhibitors from 100+ countries, along with over 10,000 participants
over two days.
An unprecedented 1,000+ buyers will be
coming from within the Arabian Peninsula’s largest country Saudi and the wider
Middle East region.
There will be 5,000+ pre-scheduled meetings
during the Forum’s duration. Additionally, over 100 international speakers are
attending the two co-located events: the Global Aviation Issues Conference (GAIC)
and the Women in Aviation (WIA) General Assembly.
This edition will see four new features:
Future GSE Display, Airport Innovation Hub, Airport Innovation Trail, and the Startups
Hub.
Additionally, there will be dedicated
pavilions by various countries, including Italy, Germany and the United
Kingdom, with a special focus on game changing innovations for the airports
industry.
Daksha Patel, Event Director at Niche
Ideas, remarked: “With most of the world’s leading aviation industry players
coming onboard, Global Airports Forum 2025 will be a power-packed edition that
will display new technology and discuss issues that are of vital interest to
the rapidly-expanding industry. It has been our endeavour to bring the best
innovations and ideas to the show for our attendees and the number of new
launches this year is a testimony to the global industry’s commitment to Saudi
Arabia’s vision to transform global air travel.”
The first-ever Airport Innovation Trail and
Airport Innovation Hub will offer visitors a guided discovery experience,
highlighting innovation-led solutions that drive aviation growth — from
passenger experience and airport operations to sustainability, safety,
security, and revenue generation. As part of the Trail, participating companies
will showcase products and technologies that visitors can explore and interact
with throughout the exhibition.
The participants, all along the journey,
will be able to discover the awe-inspiring technologies featured at the B2B
platform.
It will be complemented by the Airport
Innovation Hub that will showcase how the passenger journey is getting evolved
through a slew of practical, forward-looking technology solutions.
The Airport Innovation Hub, featuring five
dedicated zones, will further highlight how airports are becoming more
efficient, secure, sustainable, and passenger-focused through cutting-edge
technologies.
Each of the companies participating in the
Airport Innovation Trail and Airport Innovation Hub will represent commitments
to advancing airport efficiency, safety, and passenger experience.
Speaking about their participation in GAF
2025, Hasan Ezzeddine, Managing Partner at Bayanat Engineering, said this
landmark platform brings together the innovators and leaders shaping the future
of aviation. “We remain dedicated to advancing airport technologies and
operational excellence. The event provides an opportunity to showcase our
continued commitment to innovation, strengthen our collaborations with industry
partners, and contribute to the sustainable growth of airport infrastructure in
Saudi Arabia and across the region.”
Bandar Alsafari, Head of Business
Development at Swissport Saudi Arabia, said the GAF has been a key platform for
uniting aviation leaders shaping the future of airport operations. In Saudi
Arabia, Swissport is a leading ground handling supplier, serving more than 50
per cent of all foreign carriers and supporting the Kingdom’s aviation growth.
“We continue to innovate and invest in solutions that enhance operational
excellence and elevate service standards for our airline partners.”
TDC CEO Hassan Al Qahtani added that TDC
believes innovation is not only about technology — it's about rethinking how
one builds connections, efficiency, and sustainability into every airport
project. “Our experience across Saudi Arabia's major airports has shown that
real progress comes from collaboration and creative engineering. GAF-2025
offers a powerful platform to exchange these ideas and showcase how Saudi
Arabia is setting new global benchmarks in aviation development.”
New exhibitors leading in their respective
sectors, that are participating at this edition, include Saudia, the
fast-expanding flag carrier of Saudi Arabia; Amadeus, the world’s leading
provider of travel technology; Esnad Al Shabakah, a company that provides
services for the aerospace and aviation sectors; EPG, a leading global provider
of unified supply chain execution software; Tecnica Proyectos, a Spanish
engineering consultancy in transport and clean energy domains; FlyNow Aviation,
with its eCopters for air transport within metropolitan areas
and Saudi Arabia’s Branch of Ghafari
Associates, a global architecture, engineering, and consulting firm.
GAF 2025 comes at a time when the landscape
of the airport industry has been fast changing. Technologies like biometric
screening, automated check-ins, and smart baggage handling are becoming
standard.
Airports are looking at adopting touchless
technologies for enhanced passenger experience.
As the infrastructure expansion remains a
mismatch to handle increasing passenger and cargo traffic, airports are turning
to digital solutions to optimise the use of existing infrastructure.
Touchless technology including biometric
boarding gates and self-service kiosks, is being harnessed to make every part
of the travel experience smoother and enjoyable.
Airports are acquiring digital tools to
offer passengers a personalised and technologically advanced experience.
SITA, the world's leading IT provider for
the air transport industry and a key sponsor at GAF 2025, in a megatrends
report, says technology will significantly influence the travel landscape by
2033, as 97 per cent of airline companies are planning a program to develop
generative AI.
In 71 per cent of airports, advancements in
AI, Machine Learning, and computer vision are being established. AI solutions
have been implemented in 31 per cent of airports, and in 36 per cent of
airports, implementation is expected by the end of 2026.
Over 16 per cent of airports are already
using AI and ML for improved decision-making, with another 51 per cent having
plans to implement AI solutions by the end of 2026.
Airports Council International (ACI), who will also be exhibiting at Global Airports Forum for the first time this year, have said: “Airport innovation can be visionary and can help to solve a specific problem or take advantage of opportunities. Airports are committed to providing world-class customer service, and innovation plays an important role in meeting passengers’ needs and expectations.” It added that airports increasingly understand that a customer-centric, creative approach to operational and financial management is critical for success. To move beyond innovation as a mere buzzword and tap into its transformative potential, airports understand that it’s more than just technology – it’s a process centred on people that requires a culture shift and executive-level commitment.” -TradeArabia News Service