Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation

The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation, commonly called GACA, is The Kingdom's civil aviation regulator. Its statute gives it legal, financial and administrative independence under the minister of transport. It sets and enforces rules for aviation safety, air transport and licensing, and oversees Saudi Arabia's international aviation obligations.

GACA's remit also includes planning airport and air-navigation development, although separate companies can carry out operating functions. This division matters during disruption: the authority regulates the system and reports aviation impacts, while airport operators and airlines manage their own facilities and services. GACA therefore sits between government policy, international aviation standards and the companies that move passengers and cargo through Saudi airspace. Arabic-language records call the authority الهيئة العامة للطيران المدني.