Strong private sector support for Arab Air Carriers Organisation AGM

Hosted by Oman Air, the event is being held for the first time in the Sultanate. Around 300 delegates from the region's aviation industry are participating and the national telecommunications provider Omantel is main sponsor.

The AACO 36th AGM Oman 2003 has attracted a long list of co-sponsors, including the Oman Ministry of Tourism, Commerce and Industry; Muscat Municipality; Dhofar Municipality; Air BP; BankMuscat; Mustafa Sultan Enterprises LLC; National Bank of Oman; Oman International Bank; Oman Airports Management Company; Salalah Port Services; and Oman National Dairy Products.

Khimji Ramdas; Muscat Duty Free; Al Ahlia Insurance Co. are associate sponsors. Hewlett-Packard is the official provider of IT support; Oman National Transport Company is the official transport company; and Zubair Tours is Tour Sponsor. Equipment for the AGM has been supplied by Photocentre and Oman International Exhibition Centre.

Commenting on the strong private sector participation in the event, Khalid A. Wahab Al Balushi, Public Relations Manager of Oman Air, said: 'This is a reflection of the unique character of the AGM. It is no surprise that so many companies from the Sultanate wish to be associated with it. All the sponsors will gain maximum value from their involvement.'

The AACO 36th AGM Oman 2003 has brought together CEOs from 22 member Arab airlines and senior representatives from leading names in manufacturing and services, such as Airbus, Boeing, Rolls-Royce, Amadeus and Galileo.

The first day of the AGM will feature a lavish opening ceremony in the Al Bustan Hotel's Oman Auditorium, followed by keynote speeches on issues affecting the Arab aviation industry.

Day two will focus on more specific key issues and will include an address by Abdel Jawad Al Daoudi, Director General of the Arab Civil Aviation Commission (ACAC) on shared concerns of the ACAC and AACO.

Giovanni Bisignani, Director General of IATA, will make a presentation on international industry affairs, and Ludolf Van Hasselt of the EC Directorate General for Energy and Transport will speak on relations with the European Union.

Professor Rigas Doganis will deliver a paper titled 'Beyond the crisis: the future shape of the airline industry', and Philippe Chereque of Amadeus will make a presentation titled 'The challenges in distribution faced by the airlines and the way forward'.

The final day will consist of working sessions on issues and recommendations associated with joint projects, coordination, database management and international affairs between Arab airlines.

The AACO 36th AGM Oman 2003 will also have the theme 'Timeless Oman' to showcase the abundance of culture and natural treasure awaiting visitors to the Sultanate.