Riyadh - Sharikat Mubasher: Joby Aviation, a US-based developer of electric air taxis for commercial passenger service, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) to rapidly deploy its electric air taxi in Saudi Arabia.

Under this MoU, Joby will use Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification standards as a foundation to create a streamlined approval process for its aircraft in Saudi Arabia, the company announced in a press release yesterday.

To support the development of the Kingdom's air taxi regulatory framework, Joby and GACA will focus on three core initiatives based on Joby’s FAA certification efforts. This includes providing technical expertise across type design, production, and operational domains to inform the development of a comprehensive regulatory framework that ensures the safe, efficient, and scalable deployment of advanced air mobility aircraft.

Both parties will collaborate on airworthiness standards to ensure an efficient validation process of the FAA Type Certification. They will also join efforts to develop and harmonize key regulations to enable the initial phase of operations, including pilot licensing, maintenance, and airspace integration frameworks.

Sulaiman Al-Muhaimedi, Executive Vice President of Aviation Safety and Environmental Sustainability at GACA, said: “This partnership represents a critical step in advancing the Kingdom’s AAM ambitions. Our focus is not only on bringing future technologies to Saudi Arabia, but on building the knowledge and know-how required to sustain them. By localizing key elements of manufacturing and developing highly qualified national talent, we are creating an ecosystem that enables innovation to thrive.”

He affirmed that the partnership reinforces Saudi Arabia's leadership in shaping the future of aviation, in alignment with the AAM roadmap derived from the Aviation Program in the National Transport and Logistics Strategy.

In turn, JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby, commented: “We look forward to partnering with GACA on this bold endeavor: to bring quiet, fast, and convenient air mobility to Saudi Arabia.”

Moreover, Joby’s broader commercialization strategy in Saudi Arabia includes key partnerships with Abdul Latif Jameel, which is exploring the delivery of up to 200 Joby aircraft valued at approximately $1 billion, and Aloula Aviation, the aviation subsidiary of Saudi Aramco.