Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Vertical Aerospace to cooperate in laying the regulatory and operational foundations needed to enable the advanced air mobility sector in the Kingdom.
The memorandum was signed on the sidelines of the Farnborough International Airshow 2026 in the United Kingdom, in the presence of GACA President Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Duailej. GACA was represented at the signing by Ali bin Mohammed Rajab, Executive Vice President of Air Transport and International Cooperation, while Vertical Aerospace was represented by its CEO, Stuart Simpson, according to a post on the Saudi Press Agency website.
The memorandum focuses on technical cooperation to certify the type certificate of the company's Valo electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and verify its compliance with locally and internationally approved safety and environmental sustainability standards. It also includes the exchange of technical knowledge and best practices in certification and approvals, in cooperation with international aviation authorities.
The agreement is part of GACA's efforts to implement the advanced air mobility roadmap and develop the regulatory and legislative environment needed to adopt new aviation technologies and electric aircraft.
As part of its participation in the airshow, Cluster2 Airports also signed a separate memorandum of understanding with Vertical Aerospace aimed at enabling infrastructure solutions for eVTOL aircraft.
To view the post on the Saudi Press Agency website, click here.
