Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has signed an agreement with Archer Aviation to collaborate on accelerating the deployment of electric air taxis across the Kingdom.
Under this collaboration, GACA and Archer plan to establish a regulatory pathway for introducing and scaling eVTOL air taxi operations in Saudi Arabia. The framework is intended to align with FAA certification rulesets, ensuring global interoperability, safety, and operational consistency. GACA also plans to model its regulatory approach after the U.S. eVTOL Implementation Pilot Program (eIPP), enabling early route testing and service introduction in Riyadh, Jeddah, and key giga-projects such as Red Sea Global.
The agreement supports GACA’s efforts to advance the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) ecosystem in line with the AAM Roadmap and the National Transport and Logistics Strategy (NTLS). It represents another step in the Kingdom’s broader program to develop next-generation air transport solutions.
GACA and Archer also plan to conduct proof-of-concept demonstrations and experimental flights to validate regulatory approaches, support infrastructure development, and build public excitement for electric air taxi services.
Captain Sulaiman bin Saleh Al-Muhaimedi, Executive Vice President for Aviation Safety and Environmental Sustainability at GACA, stated: “This MoU is an important step in advancing the Kingdom’s vision for Advanced Air Mobility. By working with global partners such as Archer, we continue to strengthen the regulatory and operational foundations needed to safely integrate eVTOL aircraft into our aviation system. The initiative supports the AAM Roadmap and reinforces the Kingdom’s position as a regional leader in next-generation air transport.”
“Saudi Arabia is moving with impressive speed and clarity, and we are honored that GACA has chosen to collaborate with Archer in this effort,” said Adam Goldstein, Archer founder and CEO. “Aligning this certification work with the FAA and launching early demonstration operations in the Kingdom will help us bring this program to life safely and quickly. We look forward to working hand-in-hand with GACA to make the Kingdom one of the world’s first markets to embrace eVTOL aircraft at scale.”
