making wise decisions is always linked to the right timing
I believe that making wise decisions is always linked to the right timing. During my school days, I dreamt of being at the forefront of transforming service delivery to citizens by focusing on ways of improving their quality of life, especially on the aspects related to public transport. My country – Saudi Arabia – is experiencing significant changes resulting from its Vision 2030. The Saudi transport sector has an impact on the majority of the thirteen programs listed in the country’s Vision 2030. Therefore, changing policies and regulations related to public transport becomes inevitable. Working in the aviation industry, which is one of the most complex industries, has provided me with insights and predictions of the likely changes to be implemented in the next decade. Based on this background, I believe that joining the MPA program at the London School of Economics (LSE) can fulfil my long-term aspiration to participate in creating and implementing policies and develop into a competent policymaker capable of transforming the quality of services offered across various Saudi transportation sectors.
I first encountered policy formulation while working as a project engineer at an aerospace start-up company, GDC Middle East. One of my proudest achievements was establishing a project management office (PMO) tasked with adequate control of projects worth hundreds of million dollars using limited resources. Seeing all policies and procedures being implemented and followed by the organization enabled me to acknowledge policy creation as being influential in making my country a better place to live. Moreover, my leadership potential at GDC Middle East contributed to my selection among employees recommended for a shadowing program alongside the CEO. Working closely with the CEO enabled me to engage in high-level topics, including partnerships with aviation industry leaders such as Boeing, Airbus, and local companies, as well as participate in preparing agenda for our Crown Prince and reporting to the Saudi Public Investment Fund. This experience exposed me to policy formulation within the organization, the aerospace industry, and the government. Eventually, I earned an assignment by the CEO to work with the executive level to develop the 5-year strategic plan. My career progress at GDC Middle East allowed me to became a project lead for a strategic program at the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF), leading more than 30 employees and experts. Our client, RSAF, was in a transformation phase in which they aimed at developing a Military Airworthiness Authority in their directorate of aeronautical engineering. We were able to assess all processes, tools, data, and people to set a baseline. Ultimately, we provided a strategic plan that included the recommended policies and procedures to be followed.
My passion for becoming a leader in the aviation industry propelled me to move forward to higher-level jobs. I feel that my country is transforming to achieve its vision 2030. My role in Quality and Customer Protection (QCP) at the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) provided me with the opportunity to play a significant role in leading initiatives related to air transport. In particular, I participated in improving passengers’ experience in 27 airports handling more than 100 M passengers/year across KSA. This achievement involved studying the market, analyzing pain points, drafting strategies to improve passenger experience, implementing strategy, and updating regulations and developing new public policies based on the findings. In addition to our primary role, we provided passenger experience consultation to all KSA airports, airlines, and ground handlers. During 2019, for example, I successfully participated in developing service quality standards that monitor the performance of passenger touchpoints in all KSA airports by visiting airports, understanding KSA passengers, benchmarking, establishing the standards, and validating those standards with the airports, and developing penalty model based on airports revenues. Measuring these service quality standards and summitting data every month not only contributed to the formulation of public policy statements for all KSA airport but also became one of the sources of data that supports decision-making within the aviation sector. My success in strategy development in this role earned me a promotion to Head of Communication Channels – alongside my previous participation in business analytics – tasked with implementing practical strategies and setting new policies internally at GACA by developing an operating model, while also working externally with airports and airlines in signing service level agreements (SLAs).
As a public utility, an airport is a critical touchpoint for most citizens and visitors. I proudly succeeded in enhancing services provided in all KSA airports at every touchpoint, while at GACA. Nowadays, most high-ranked airports around the globe develop their strategies based on passenger experience (mostly service-based experiences). Accordingly, at GACA, we changed our methodology in updating airports related public policies to be passenger experience-based and started monitoring airport performance based on that. Moreover, for continuous improvements, I have followed the data-driven decision-making approach alongside benchmarking and cultural analysis to solve pain points in passenger experience in KSA airports. For instance, having received low satisfaction rates for services provided for people with reduced mobility (PRM), I was assigned to study the case and provide a strategy to improve services provided to this category of passengers. Ideally, my plan entailed the need to draft minimum quality standards for PRM services for air travel to achieve a world-class level of service, as emphasized in the country’s vision 2030. Based on data analysis of services satisfaction in different segments, benchmarking with the European and American relevant legislation, reviewing current GACA and international regulations, and consulting legal and finance experts within GACA and other governmental entities, I managed to draft an updated policy that includes a regulation concerning the rights of PRM when travelling by air. If approved, the new policy would be followed by both airports and airlines to achieve the targeted level of service provided to PRM in KSA. In the meantime, my recommendations are under review by the board and the Saudi Disability Authority to be implemented, possibly in the new GACA regulations update in 2020. I believe that pursuing “Innovations in the Governance of Public Services Delivery” course would help me in the future to be more creative while doing similar and/or advanced work.
Working in a public sector entity and participating in reviewing and updating public policy at GACA were learning opportunities that directly relate to the MPA program. In the meantime, GACA alongside its regulatory mandate operates 24 airports which cause a conflict of interest that often result into low airports performance, little focus on the commercial side of KSA airports – since the non-aeronautical revenues at airports nowadays are higher than aeronautical revenues – and challenges in making the industry profitable. In the 5-year strategic plan, GACA will completely segregate the operation role from the authority by privatizing all airports, which will strive to update regulations, restructure the organization, and create new policies. MPA program at LSE will provide me with an excellent accreditation to work on the new transition phase directly, thereby providing a unique chance to prove myself and gradually climb the ladder to eventually achieve a personal milestone of becoming a GACA president. I have demonstrated the great presence and leadership qualities since joining GACA, as shown by my frequent appointment to represent the organization as a speaker in various universities, special events, and in media. Also, I have been participating in governmental committees that are related to reviewing and reporting to Saudi vision 2030, updating policies and regulations, and leading GACA team in reviewing Accessibility of Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations alongside many governmental entities like Port Authority, Transportation Authority, ministry of municipality and rural affairs, and ministry of transport. These experiences have enabled me to create an excellent image and potential leadership position in GACA, which I intend to reinforce by an MPA program at LSE, which is one of the top institutions.
Furthermore, working with a multinational group of people at GDC Middle East in Riyadh and as an intern at Areva, Erlangen, Germany, made me realize that diversity of nationalities and minds are the best assets for improving a person’s skills and mindset. In London and especially at LSE, which is a prestigious school with highly qualified professionals and people from diverse backgrounds, would provide me with the best place to develop, share my experiences, learn from the best and thrive accordingly. Besides, one of the most important reasons that made me apply to the MPA program is the MPA Capstone course. The capstone course is an opportunity to work with an organization that addresses a practical policy issue, which I have practised for a while at GACA. Practising it in an international setting at LSE with a diverse team will help me shine. I believe that developing policy and implementing it directly to a client after finishing my first year of the program will sharpen my competencies in creating and implementing strategies. Overall, my passion is to become the aviation leader in Saudi Arabia, who is typically appointed the transport minister, by using the MPA program at LSE to gain more knowledge and innovation to improve public service in the transport sector effectively.