Saudia Group has announced its official joining of the United Nations Global Compact, the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative, marking an important step in strengthening responsible business practices and embedding sustainability principles across the Group’s operations.
The Group will engage with the United Nations Global Compact Network Saudi Arabia for local programming, collaboration, and capacity building.
The announcement reflects Saudia Group’s role as a leading national aviation ecosystem and its continued commitment to advancing economic, social and environmental impact. Through this accession, the Group aims to further align its strategies and operations with the Ten Principles and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The occasion was attended by Mr. Majed Wafaallah, Chairman of the UN Global Compact Network Saudi Arabia, Ms. Maryam Telmesani, Vice President of Sustainability at Saudia Group and Mr. Faisal Al Azib, Network’s Executive Director of the UN Global Compact Network Saudi Arabia, alongside representatives from participating Saudia Group companies, including Saudia, Saudia Cargo, Saudia Academy, SGS, Saudia Private, Medical Fakeeh, and CATRION.
This broad participation reflects the level of engagement across the Group and reinforces its commitment to adopting the United Nations Global Compact’s Ten Principles across human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption.
Commenting on this milestone, Mr. Majed Wafaallah, Chairman of the UN Global Compact Network Saudi Arabia, said:
The aviation sector plays a vital role in connecting people, economies, and opportunities, and by aligning with the Ten Principles and engaging in collective action, the Group will contribute to advancing sustainable and inclusive economic development in support of Saudi Vision 2030.
We are pleased to welcome Saudia Group to the United Nations Global Compact Network Saudi Arabia, and look forward to working together to strengthen responsible business practices and contributing to the Kingdom’s long-term development priorities.
Ms. Maryam Telmesani, Vice President of Sustainability at Saudia Group, said: “Joining the United Nations Global Compact reflects our commitment to advancing sustainability not only within our organization, but across the broader aviation ecosystem. We, at Saudia Group, recognize that the future of aviation will be shaped by our ability to align growth with responsibility, innovation with impact, and ambition with accountability.
“The collective engagement of our companies under this global framework demonstrates our belief that meaningful progress requires action across the entire value chain. Through this commitment, we aim to help accelerate the transition toward a more resilient, competitive, and sustainable aviation sector for the Kingdom and beyond.”
Saudia Group continues to implement its 2026 sustainability plan, which includes 118 initiatives covering 13 of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The plan reflects an integrated approach to embedding sustainability across environmental, social and governance priorities, while creating long-term value for all stakeholders.
Joining the United Nations Global Compact forms part of Saudia Group’s efforts to support the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 and the global sustainable development agenda, while contributing to the development of a more efficient, innovative and sustainable aviation sector and strengthening the Kingdom’s position as a leading global aviation hub.
Featured image credited to Saudia Group
