Civil Aviation Minister: Arab countries' confidence in Egypt reflects the efficiency of its institutions and its leadership in supporting the future of aviation and strengthening regional integration
In a new Arab achievement reflecting Egypt's established standing within the Arab civil aviation system, Egypt has been appointed to chair the General Assembly of the Arab Civil Aviation Organization (ACAO) for two years and has won membership of the organization's Executive Council. This took place during the General Assembly hosted by the Moroccan capital Rabat on 29 and 30 June, with the participation of the heads and representatives of civil aviation authorities in Arab member states, reflecting the confidence and appreciation Egypt enjoys at the Arab and regional levels.
The win is an extension of the Egyptian state's approach to strengthening its active presence in regional and international organizations and consolidating its position as a key partner in shaping policies supporting the development of the civil aviation sector at the Arab and international levels.
Egypt's delegation was headed by Minister of Civil Aviation Dr. Sameh El Hefny and included Sameh Fawzy, Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority; Reem Oraby, Egypt's Alternate Representative to the ICAO Council; and Captain Karim Gamil, Advisor to the Authority Chairman and Director General of International Agreements.
The General Assembly was preceded by the 74th session of the organization's Executive Council, which discussed a number of priority strategic issues, including strengthening aviation safety and security, developing air navigation services, updating legislative and regulatory frameworks, supporting digital transformation and environmental sustainability, developing human capabilities and unifying and coordinating Arab positions on issues raised in international forums, in line with the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
The Arab civil aviation community also unified its position on increasing the number of seats on the ICAO Council and reached consensus with the European, African and Latin American regional organizations, in a special working session to exchange regional support at ICAO's extraordinary assembly.
Elections for the organization's Executive Council and technical committees resulted in the re-election of Egypt to the Executive Council, as well as its winning membership of a number of technical committees, a fresh affirmation of the confidence in Egyptian expertise and its influential role in supporting the organization's work, strengthening Arab cooperation and developing the region's air transport system.
The General Assembly approved the appointment of Khalid El Sharqawi as Director General of the Arab Civil Aviation Organization, succeeding Abdennabi Manar. Egypt expressed its confidence in Khalid El Sharqawi to continue developing the organization and strengthening its role in serving the Arab civil aviation sector.
For his part, Minister of Civil Aviation Dr. Sameh El Hefny stressed that Egypt's election to chair the 29th session of the General Assembly and the renewal of its Executive Council membership reflect the extent of confidence the Egyptian state enjoys among its Arab brothers and embody its accumulated institutional expertise and integrated strategic vision, which have strengthened its ability to contribute effectively to shaping the future of the civil aviation industry in the Arab region and support regional integration and coordination in this vital sector.
El Hefny added that Egypt, out of its regional responsibility and firm commitment to supporting joint Arab action, will continue to contribute effectively to implementing the organization's programs and initiatives and strengthening the exchange of expertise and best practices among member states, helping to raise aviation safety and operational efficiency, accelerate digital transformation, support environmental sustainability and develop human resources, keeping pace with rapid changes in the global air transport industry.
The minister praised the outstanding efforts of Saudi Arabia during its previous chairmanship of the Executive Council and its achievements, which helped strengthen the organization's performance and consolidate cooperation and coordination among Arab states, supporting joint Arab cooperation in civil aviation.
