The organization recognized the Kingdom’s position as a leading country in the Middle East and its geographical location, which allows it to act as a link between Europe, Asia and Africa.

This announcement was made during CANSO’s 14th conference in Oslo recently.

The conference chose president of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) Abdullah Al-Rahimi to become a member of CANSO’s executive board and a representative of the Middle East region for 2010-2011.

This decision also recognized the Kingdom’s efforts in developing its civil aviation services as well as safety and security measures.

The CANSO board includes representatives of New Zealand, Austria, Australia, Ireland, Spain and the United States, as well as the vice president of Boeing Co.

Setting up a new strategy for safety measures and developing cooperation among different aviation authorities are among major decisions taken by the board lately.

Rahimi said the decision to include the Kingdom in the board marked a new era in international relations and would help improve the future strategies of civil aviation services.

CANSO has 112 civil aviation members representing member countries, which account for 60 percent of international routes.