France's Thales wins Saudi aviation academy contract

Thales, the French defence electronics firm, said on Monday it had won a contract worth about €30 million ($44.63 million) to develop a new civil aviation academy in Saudi Arabia. The academy, to be located in Jeddah, will provide training for 500 trainees in air traffic control, maintenance of civil aviation systems and airport security, Thales said in a statement during the Dubai air show. The Middle East and Gulf Arab region accounted for about 10 per cent of the group's annual revenues with €1.1 billion.