IATA Calls for Air Transport Reforms in Middle East
Hussein Dabbas, IATA regional vice president for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
Hussein Dabbas, IATA regional vice president for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has called for liberalization of the Middle East market, including new freedoms for airlines to price services and more readily access capital at a time when the industry group claims excessive regulation has stunted the growth of vital players, especially in Saudi Arabia. “Who cares who owns an airline, if it is safe and provides efficient service?” said Hussein Dabbas, IATA’s regional vice president for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), speaking last week at a seminar in Dubai organized by Embraer. “Ownership rules deny access to global capital and the ability to merge or consolidate across borders.”