The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has concluded an agreement with the Government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the establishment of its Gulf Area office in Abu Dhabi, effective 1 June.
“We are very pleased to be moving to our new home in Abu Dhabi. Today’s agreement reflects the recognition by the government of the UAE of the importance that aviation plays in driving economic growth and development,” said Tony Tyler, IATA’s Director General and CEO.
Tyler signed the agreement with Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah Mohammad Bin Butti Al Hamed in the presence of the Foreign Minister HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. This formally establishes IATA’s presence in the Gulf Cooperation Council with an office covering activities in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar, in addition to the UAE. It supersedes an agreement with the Sharjah Airport Authority, under which IATA’s first office in the UAE was established in 1996.
“I thank our hosts in Sharjah for their support over the last 17 years. Over that period our activities have grown rapidly in parallel with the development of the airlines in the Gulf area. Having formalized our position at the national level, I am confident that we will be able to provide the region with even more effective support for its impressive development,” said Tyler.
The Abu Dhabi office will report to the Association’s Middle East and North Africa Regional Office in Amman, Jordan. Together they will make available the full range of IATA’s services and member benefits to airlines operating in the region. This includes managing the local operations of the IATA Industry Settlement Systems, the IATA Operational Safety Audit and delivering leadership as the industry establishes and implements global standards to support the flagship Simplifying the Business program, among other activities.
