announced an order for eight more. Marty Bentrott, Commercial Airplanes’ vice president of Sales for the Middle East, Russia and Central Asia, said Saudia bought the 777-300ER to build on its large fleet of 777-200ERs. “If you look at where Saudi Arabia is situated geographically, the 777-300ER is perfectly suited to meet the airline’s requirements for destinations where it has higher load factors,” Bentrott said. “It was a perfect solution, and we’re hoping that Saudia will pick up more of them.” Saudia’s single-aisle fleet includes a number of leased Airbus A320s. As those leases approach expiration, Boeing will be competing aggressively to replace the airplanes with the 737 MAX, according to Bentrott. Saudi Arabia, along with the Middle East as a whole, is an important and growing market for Boeing Business Jets, said Steve Taylor, Boeing Business Jets president. Boeing Business Jets dominates the VIP market in the Middle East, with 49 percent of the large single-aisle market and more than 65 percent of the twin-aisle market, Taylor said. “Several government operate Boeing Business Jets, including Saudi Arabia with four BBJ 747s,” Taylor said. Boeing also is investing in facilities to enhance Saudi Arabia’s technological capabilities and support research and development activities in the nation. Paul Oliver, vice president, International Business Development for the Middle East and Africa, Defense, Space & Security, said tools like this can help Saudi Arabia go beyond an oil-driven economy to a range of new industries offering growing job opportunities. “We’re investing in capabilities, technologies and knowledge transfer in Saudi Arabia to assist in its objective of diversifying its economy,” Oliver said. “We’re particularly interested in investments that help grow the aerospace and defense industry there.” Bill Lyons, director, Global Technology, Boeing Research & Technology, said research activities range from work in composite materials, to solar energy, to extracting titanium powder from mineral sand. Boeing’s expertise in solar cells, Lyons said, can help Saudi Arabia reach its goal of developing a solar energy industry, with increased domestic use of solar power. While Boeing is involved in research projects at various locations in Saudi Arabia, most of the work is centered at KAUST, located near Jeddah on the Red Sea. The university is a “world-class facility,” Lyons said. “It’s a laboratory where you’ve got the best facilities, the best equipment and some of the best minds from around the world, all brought together. It’s really an example of how Saudi Arabia has developed as a nation, and how it is developing its own competencies in the global marketplace.” n boeingfrontiers@boeing.com PHOTO: Researchers are shown at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, or KAUST. Boeing is collaborating with the university on six major projects in advanced materials, computer modeling, solar power applications and industrial water treatment and opened a Boeing Research & Technology office there last month. KAUST 36 Frontiers October 2014
Frontiers October 2014 Issue
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