Saudia selects GE Aerospace GEnx-1B engines to power new 787 Dreamliners

Signs a multi-year agreement that includes the supply of engines, a multi-year maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) programme, and spare engines.

Saudia Group has announced a strategic agreement with GE Aerospace (NYSE: GE) to equip Saudia, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s national flag carrier, with GEnx-1B engines for its 2023 order of 39 Boeing 787-9 and 787-10 aircraft.

The agreement includes the supply of engines, a multi-year maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) programme, and spare engines. It also encompasses a series of capability-building initiatives—delivered through Saudia Technic, the Group’s maintenance and engineering arm—designed to expand and localise the Kingdom’s aerospace expertise through technical training and knowledge transfer.

Engr. Ibrahim Al-Omar, Director General of Saudia Group, said, “This strategic partnership with GE Aerospace not only transforms the Group’s long-haul capability and expands our air connectivity but also accelerates the localisation of high-technology aviation expertise in the Kingdom. Through this agreement, we will be able to develop in-country technical capability for engines we previously maintained abroad, ensuring that investment, skills, and value remain within the Kingdom, in alignment with the Saudi Vision 2030.”

GE Aerospace Chairman and CEO H. Lawrence Culp, Jr., added, “We are honoured to support Saudia Group’s growth and are grateful for their trust in us. The GEnx engines will provide reliability, efficiency, and durability to power the airline's expanded widebody fleet. Our collective efforts to further develop a skilled aerospace workforce that benefits the Kingdom and the United States will support our industry for decades to come.”