Saudi Arabia’s National Aviation Academy (TAYARAN) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a coalition of BAE SDT and IFTC, to establish the first Flight Simulator Training Center in Riyadh, as the first center to provide simulator training in the region outside airlines.

The signing took place on the sidelines of Farnborough International Airshow which which was held on18-22 July 2022.

The MoU comes to keep pace with the Saudi Vision 2030 and localize the industry, in order to enhance the Saudi Arabia’s economic position to become a hub for high-tech industries and services, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

The Center’s establishment is an extension of the quality training programs offered by the academy and to serve its students who wish to continue their advanced training on flight simulators such as Airbus 320 and Boeing 737 as a first stage.

TAYARAN is a not-for-profit Academy chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Sultan Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Space Commission, with eight founding stakeholders; Saudi Aviation Club, Saudi Aramco, Ministry of Education, Technical and Vocational Training Corporation, Economic Cities and Special Zones Authority, King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA) and the Saudi Technology Development and Investment Company (Taqnia).

TAYARAN was established with the objective of providing professional ab initio pilot, Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) and Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) training programs as well as certification programs as needed to support both the civil and military aviation needs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.