In a significant move for the aviation industry, Saudia Group has announced a strategic partnership with GE Aerospace to power its new fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners with advanced GEnx-1B engines.
Multi-Year Agreement Details
The agreement, finalized on November 24, 2025, covers 39 Boeing 787-9 and 787-10 aircraft that Saudia Group ordered in 2023. Beyond engine supply, the comprehensive package includes a multi-year maintenance, repair, and overhaul program along with spare engines.
His Excellency Engr. Ibrahim Al-Omar, Director General of Saudia Group, emphasized that this partnership represents more than just fleet modernization. "This strategic partnership with GE Aerospace not only transforms the Group's long-haul capability but also accelerates the localization of high-technology aviation expertise in the Kingdom," he stated.
Advancing Saudi Arabia's Aerospace Capabilities
The collaboration includes substantial capability-building initiatives delivered through Saudia Technic, the Group's maintenance and engineering division. These programs focus on technical training and knowledge transfer designed to expand and localize the Kingdom's aerospace expertise.
This alignment with Saudi Vision 2030 ensures that investment, skills, and value remain within the Kingdom, moving technical capabilities that were previously maintained abroad to local facilities.
Proven Technology and Long-Standing Partnership
GE Aerospace Chairman and CEO H. Lawrence Culp, Jr., expressed gratitude for Saudia Group's trust, noting that "The GEnx engines will provide reliability, efficiency, and durability to power the airline's expanded widebody fleet."
The GEnx engine family represents a major advancement in modern propulsion, featuring:
- Advanced materials and cutting-edge technologies
- Higher time-on-wing and reliability
- Over 70 million accumulated flight hours since 2011
- Power for two-thirds of all operational 787 aircraft
This agreement builds on a relationship spanning more than 40 years between GE Aerospace and the Saudi aerospace sector. GE Aerospace and its joint ventures currently power Saudi Arabia's four largest commercial carriers.
The partnership supports Saudia Group's long-term strategy focused on fleet expansion, new international routes, and increased guest capacity while simultaneously strengthening the Kingdom's aviation infrastructure and cultivating next-generation expertise.
