French firms involved in the aviation sector and a high-level delegation from Saudi Arabia, led by General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) President, Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Duailej, were in Paris on Tuesday for discussions about closer cooperation in multiple area,s including privatization and technology transfer.

The Saudi-French roundtable brought together more than 65 public and private entities from both countries, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA). They included top executives—including CEOs and deputy CEOs—in specialist areas ranging from aviation safety to environmental sustainability, with experts in aviation, airports, and related services, also in attendance.

The meeting coincided with this year’s Paris Air Show, taking place until Sunday. This year, the event has placed a big focus on “more sustainable aviation... and ongoing efforts to sustainably strengthen Europe’s sovereignty,” according to the president of the organiser, Guillaume Faury.

At the roundtable, attendees explored investment opportunities and ways to expand privatization and technology transfer. Saudi Arabia already has a large privatization agenda in place on the back of Vision 2030, which has travel and tourism as a key driver.

According to Eurogroup Consulting, Saudi Arabia has delivered record growth in the first quarter of 2025, with international arrivals surging almost 50% year-over-year to reach 8.6 million visitors. The country is expected to exceed 30 million international tourists by the end of this year. The Vision 2030 target is for 150 million annual visitors—both domestic and international.

The strong growth has been supported by major airport development and expansion and the Paris meeting highlighted national priorities and projects in the sector. It also facilitated the exchange of views on the future of the aviation industry, addressing shared challenges with the aim of aligning efforts to build strategic partnerships. If these are fruitful, they will support the onboarding of private companies in the areas of infrastructure development and sustainability in aviation.

Plenty of Investment Opportunities

Saudi Arabia also wants to reinforce its position as a global logistics hub and become a key center for air transport. At the meeting, participants discussed available investment opportunities in the civil aviation industry and the investment environment that Saudi Arabia can offer to both local and international investors.

According to SPA, the gathering also highlighted national initiatives, privatization prospects, and opportunities in airport infrastructure, air navigation services, and advanced aviation technologies.

On the tourism front, and despite escalating regional conflicts, Eurogroup Consulting says that the demand forecast for Saudi Arabia shows strong momentum. This year, the tourism sector is projected to grow by 8%, along with luxury tourism expansion and cultural experiences, helped by aggressive global marketing campaigns.

Among the major airport projects currently being undertaken is the huge new King Salman International Airport serving Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s capital. Three new terminals will be delivered by Bechtel, and when completed, the airport is set to become the largest in the world.