Joby Aviation, Saudi GACA sign deal for electric air taxi deployment
Joby Aviation and Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) have signed a memorandum of understanding to facilitate the introduction of electric air taxi services in the country.
The agreement will use US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification protocols to underpin a regulatory approval process for Joby’s aircraft in Saudi Arabia.
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With this initiative, Saudi Arabia becomes one of several early markets identified for the rollout of Joby’s air taxi operations, joining the US, the UK, the UAE, Japan, and South Korea.
The collaboration focuses on three main areas. These include technical support for developing regulatory frameworks, validation of FAA Type Certification standards, and the creation of operational regulations related to pilot licensing, maintenance, and airspace management.
GACA aviation safety and environmental sustainability executive vice president Captain Sulaiman bin Saleh Al-Muhaimedi 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.”
Both parties plan to apply Joby’s experience from its ongoing FAA certification process to inform Saudi Arabia’s regulatory landscape for advanced air mobility.
Commercially, Joby’s activities in Saudi Arabia include partnerships with Abdul Latif Jameel, which may lead to the delivery of up to 200 aircraft valued at roughly $1bn, and with Aloula Aviation, a subsidiary of Aramco.
This announcement expands on ongoing economic cooperation between the US and Saudi governments following President Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia in May 2025.
Joby founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt said: “We’ve been collaborating with the FAA since 2016 on the certification and the commercial operations of our aircraft, and we’re now putting those standards to work on a global scale.”
Joby is advancing towards final FAA Type Certification, a stage involving direct evaluation of its aircraft by federal test pilots.
The company has also participated in international efforts, including contributions to the NAA Network’s multi-country roadmap aimed at aligning certification standards for new aviation technologies.
Recently, Joby signed a letter of intent with Alatau Advance Air Group (AAAG) to deliver eVTOL aircraft and associated services in Kazakhstan, in a deal valued at up to $250m.
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