Despite Gulf airlines incurring billions of dollars in losses due to recent geopolitical tensions, Saudi carriers have demonstrated exceptional resilience and an impressive ability to absorb shocks quickly. This comes amid optimistic forecasts for long-term growth in air travel across the Middle East and Africa, projected to reach 3.9% annually through 2050. This was stated by Kamil Al-Awadhi, Regional Vice President of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) for Africa and the Middle East, in exclusive remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat.