An official source at the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) of Saudi Arabia has stated that the Authority approved the request received from the General Civil Aviation Authority in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which includes the desire to allow flights coming to and departing from the UAE to all countries to pass through the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's airspace, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) briefly reported.

GACA emerged from the Presidency of Civil Aviation in 2006. Since then it has been on a mission to become a main contributor to the GDP of the Kingdom while growing and modernizing its aviation sector employing mostly qualified Saudis.

Over the years, the Kingdom has achieved unprecedented growth and has made qualitative leaps in civil aviation, whose growth has helped to drive development at airports across Saudi Arabia, covering major developments in passenger transportation, air cargo, airport construction and equipment, air navigation and control.

Under the leadership of its President, H.E. Mr. Abdulhadi Al-Mansouri, GACA currently oversees economic and safety regulation, air navigation services and the operations of Saudi Arabia’s 27 existing airports comprising 13 international and 14 domestic airports with a collective passenger throughput of 99.8 million as of 2018.

GACA’s mission is to develop the air transport industry in accordance with the latest international standards, strengthen the position of the Kingdom as a globally influential player in civil aviation, achieve financial growth and sustainability, and enforce the relevant rules, regulations and procedures to ensure air transport safety and security.