The Aviator: Faisal Ghazi Kayal, Managing Director, Saudia Private Aviation Since it launched its commercial operations in 2009, Saudia Private Aviation has become one of the leading names in the region's private aviation sector

By Aby Sam Thomas

You're reading Entrepreneur Middle East, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

Saudia Private Aviation
Faisal Ghazi Kayal, Managing Director, Saudia Private Aviation

"How will you ever see eye to eye, if you're never face to face?" It is this quote by Warren Buffet that Faisal Ghazi Kayal, Managing Director, Saudia Private Aviation (SPA), uses to illustrate the importance of the services that his company provides for the business community in the Middle East. Since it launched its commercial operations in 2009, SPA, a subsidiary of Saudi Arabian Airlines, has become one of the leading names in the region's private aviation sector, and all signs point to the enterprise seeing a lot more growth in the years ahead- after all, the Middle East Business Aviation Association (MEBAA) has predicted the regional business aviation industry to be worth around US$1.3 billion by 2020. "We are growing at a higher rate on a compounded annual growth rate [basis] in the region, compared to the worldwide average," Kayal explains. "We are growing at almost 8%, whereas globally, we are talking about 6%."

With these figures to look forward to, the Jeddah-headquartered SPA has also embarked on a privatization drive for its business, with Kayal calling the effort a strategic move in anticipation of the future. "At the end of the day, we look at the privatization as part of our efficiency [drive]- we don't separate efficiency from privatization," Kayal says. "What we are doing right now is becoming a totally separate entity from a commercial, organizational and financial point of view. I think this gives us the freedom to be able to be more dynamic and responsive to our market needs, and our customer needs as well." And SPA's attentiveness to its clientele is reflected in the functionalities it has incorporated in its official website. "Our website is an interactive point-of-sale website," Kayal says. "We are one of the very few private aviation companies where you will be able to request for a quotation online, and then receive it in the privacy of your own email. You can request all of our services through our website, and you receive the confirmations for everything in your email. Plus, our website also offers a lot of good opportunities for [users to take advantage of] empty legs, with special offers to our clients."

According to Kayal, providing a better customer experience through the SPA website is going to help build the company's business and reputation in the market. "Private aviation tends to be a very closed sector," he says. "We can turn this business into a much more globalized business by [virtue of customers] being able to interact [with us] through the website. Unlike the typical normal process where you have to go through a broker and everything, we have made it very transparent on our website, where you can request for your quotation, and get all the information you need easily."

SPA's offering of memberships for its clients is another way the company has been building (and growing) its customer base- its Silver, Gold and Platinum packages have been especially designed with a variety of incentives and offers to cater to passengers on all of their flights, be it the short domestic trips, or the long-haul international ones. "We want to keep our customers as our partners, by developing memberships for them," Kayal explains. "What we have seen with the growth rate and the responsiveness of the market has encouraged us to go with a more aggressive strategic plan from 2014 for the next five years."

Aby Sam Thomas

Entrepreneur Staff

Editor in Chief, Entrepreneur Middle East

Aby Sam Thomas is the Editor in Chief of Entrepreneur Middle East. In this role, Aby is responsible for leading the publication on its editorial front, while also working to build the brand and grow its presence across the MENA region through the development and execution of events and other programming, as well as through representation in conferences, media, etc.

Aby has been working in journalism since 2011, prior to which he was an analyst programmer with Accenture, where he worked with J. P. Morgan Chase's investment banking arm at offices in Mumbai, London, and New York. He holds a Master's Degree in Journalism from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York.  

Side Hustle

I Started a Semi-Passive Side Hustle That Earns $33,000 a Week on Amazon: 'Selling There Is a No-Brainer'

Dr. Jenny Woo wanted to create a product that would help people connect, and it turned out to be a lucrative one.

Business News

Woman Goes Viral After Recording Her Disastrous Call With HR After Being Let Go: 'They Tried to Gaslight You'

Brittany Pietsch posted a nine-minute-long clip of her firing from Cloudflare on TikTok, and it went viral. The company's CEO responded on X — and also went viral.

Marketing

5 Trends Shaping the Next Generation of Digital Marketing

These IT platforms offer a unique opportunity for brands to connect organically with their demographic by partnering with influencers who boast a loyal following.

Business News

X Is Losing Users and Struggling to Attract Creators, According to New Data

The company, which is owned by Elon Musk, says that 1.7 million people join the platform every day.

Culture

50 of the Best Work from Home Jobs That Pay Well in 2023

If you're tired of driving to an office and would love to work at home, there are plenty of high-quality full-time work-from-home jobs for you.