Helsinki - The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Finland signed a memorandum of understanding to regulate air transport, in addition to approving an agreement to provide air services between the two countries.

The signature ceremony was held in the presence of the Minister of Commerce and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Authority for Foreign Trade, Dr. Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi, as part of the current business visit paid by a high-level Saudi delegation headed by the Minister to the Finnish capital, Helsinki.

The memorandum aims to enhance Saudi-Finnish trade and raise the level of the Saudi-Finnish economic partnership, in which GACA participates, along with 12 government agencies, and 27 companies from the Saudi business sector.

The memorandum of understanding included the organizational clauses related to transport rights, the plurality of designating national carriers, determining the number of regular flights between the two sides, and commercial representation of airlines, in addition to strengthening bilateral cooperation in the field of air transport on the basis of mutual benefit, in accordance with the regulations, laws and instructions in force in both countries.

It also lays down regulatory frameworks for safe, orderly and sound air transport between the two sides in accordance with the principles established by Chicago International Treaty in 1944.