KUALA LUMPUR: Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong is one of the 120 international leaders invited to speak at the Future Aviation Forum 2022 in Saudi Arabia.
Dr Wee said he was humbled by the invitation to speak at the inaugural forum which will be held from Monday (May 9) until May 11 alongside his colleagues and counterparts from several nations.
"The event hosted by the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) will see the attendance of 120 speakers and more than 2,000 delegates and representatives from all over the world.
"About 40 sessions will be held for the delegates, focusing on passenger experience, sustainability and recovery of the aviation industry in the post-pandemic world," he said in a Facebook post on Monday (May 9).
Dr Wee expressed his gratitude to the government of Saudi Arabia for inviting to speak with his fellow contemporaries.
Dr Wee said he arrived at the Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and was met by the adviser to the Saudi Arabian Minister of Transport and Logistics Services.
"I managed to get two hours of sleep before heading to the forum which will be held from May 9 to May 11 at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Centre in Riyadh.
"I am humbled by their hospitality," he said.
Dr Wee said he was joined by the Transport Ministry's aviation deputy undersecretary Stien Van Lutam, aviation principal assistant secretary Asnawi Abd Latif, international Civil Aviation Organisation permanent representative Flora Chin Lee Sa, and Malaysia Civil Aviation Authority quality and standards director Captain Md Jani Md Dom.
The forum is the first for Saudi Arabia and is aimed to unite international leaders from the private and public sectors, international chief executive operators, and regulators to shape the evolution of international air travel and put forward new solutions.
With representatives from every continent expected to attend, the forum will host sessions, side events and networking across two-days focusing on three core thematic pillars: passenger experience, sustainability and aviation business recovery post-Covid- 19.