{"id":124338,"date":"2026-03-16T06:13:21","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T09:13:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shipping.einnews.com\/article\/899754908"},"modified":"2026-03-16T06:13:21","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T09:13:21","slug":"riyadh-cargo-charts-vision-pravin-singh-on-vision-digital-growth-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/2026\/03\/16\/riyadh-cargo-charts-vision-pravin-singh-on-vision-digital-growth-strategy\/","title":{"rendered":"Riyadh Cargo Charts Vision: Pravin Singh on vision, digital growth & strategy"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In his first public on\u2011stage interview since unveiling Riyadh Cargo\u2019s brand identity, Pravin Singh, Global Head of Cargo at Riyadh Air, presented a clear and ambitious roadmap for the airline\u2019s cargo division. Speaking exclusively to Reji John, Editor of The STAT Trade Times<\/i>, Singh candidly discussed strategy, digital transformation, fleet plans, and the Kingdom\u2019s Vision 2030. He described building a business from the ground up with the rare advantage of a \u201cblank canvas\u201d and the responsibility that comes with it. <\/p>\n

A cargo strategy aligned with Vision 2030
<\/b>Saudi Arabia aims to handle 4.5 million tonnes of air freight annually by 2030, and Singh made it clear that Riyadh Cargo is designed to be a central enabler of that national ambition. \u201cWe are inevitably going to be a key enabler to delivering the ambition,\u201d he said, noting that Riyadh Air\u2019s order of 182 aircraft, including 122 widebodies, provides the scale needed to build a modern cargo network from the ground up.<\/p>\n

This fleet pipeline, he emphasised, is Riyadh Cargo\u2019s greatest structural advantage: the ability to design processes, systems, and customer experiences without legacy constraints. <\/p>\n

Why the brand is \u2018Riyadh Cargo\u2019
<\/b>One of the most distinctive decisions in the airline\u2019s early journey was the naming of the cargo brand. Singh explained that the team intentionally avoided the expected \u201cRiyadh Air Cargo\u201d label. \u201cRiyadh Cargo\u2026 is who we are,\u201d he said, describing the name as a long\u2011term commitment to the capital city and to the cargo business as a core pillar of Riyadh Air.<\/p>\n

But building a brand from scratch has been demanding. \u201cThere is no handbook\u2026 we are having to create our story from scratch,\u201d he noted, adding that the team has spent enormous time ensuring safety, security, and regulatory compliance form the foundation of the business.<\/p>\n

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Riyadh Cargo, the cargo brand of Riyadh Air <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Freighters: A future decision, not a current priority
<\/b>With 122 widebodies entering the fleet, questions about dedicated freighters were inevitable. Singh acknowledged the interest but stressed that the timing must align with demand and ecosystem maturity.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will keep reviewing our operating model\u2026 freighters will be built around demand,\u201d he said. For now, the focus is on inducting the passenger widebodies, expanding the network beyond Heathrow to new destinations like Dubai and Cairo, and building scale through belly\u2011cargo operations. <\/p>\n

Digital\u2011first cargo built for the AI era
<\/b>Riyadh Cargo is being built as a digitally native business, fully aligned with Riyadh Air\u2019s technology\u2011first philosophy. Singh described a deliberate effort to avoid legacy processes and embrace AI\u2011driven systems from day one.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe constantly fight our past and our experience every single day to not fall into that trap of doing it just because that\u2019s the only way we have known,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

Key digital choices include: AI\u2011enabled tools through Tata Consultancy Services (TCS); CHAMP\u2019s next\u2011generation cargo management system, neo and a self\u2011service customer experience with greater transparency and control. <\/p>\n

Partnerships as a strategic priority
<\/b>Partnerships rank among Singh\u2019s top three priorities. He believes the era of airlines operating in isolation is over. Early results support this: with just one daily flight to Heathrow, Riyadh Cargo has already carried 2.5 million kilos (2500 tonnes) in three months, driven by collaboration and interline agreements. <\/p>\n

Building confidence through belly\u2011cargo operations
<\/b>Since October 2025, Riyadh Cargo has been operating commercial cargo on the belly of its leased Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Singh described the first night of loading as an emotional milestone for the team. The trial phase has validated processes across temperature\u2011controlled cargo, perishables, and sensitive commodities, with customers noting a \u201cdifferent standard\u201d in service.<\/p>\n

A supportive ecosystem and the road to 2030
<\/b>Saudi Arabia\u2019s expanding logistics zones and airport infrastructure will play a decisive role in Riyadh Cargo\u2019s growth. Singh praised the ecosystem\u2019s readiness and the support from partners such as SATS, which operates the airline\u2019s dedicated handling facility.<\/p>\n

Leadership priorities for 2026
<\/b>Singh outlined three milestones he aims to achieve by the end of 2026: a sound, compliance\u2011driven go\u2011to\u2011market strategy; deep, value\u2011driven partnerships; and a strong alignment with the Kingdom\u2019s Vision 2030 logistics goals.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to be that ambassador that stands up and delivers,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

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<\/a><\/strong> <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

… freight<\/span> annually by 2030, and Singh made it clear that Riyadh Cargo<\/span> … \u00e2\u0080\u009cRiyadh Air Cargo<\/span>\u00e2\u0080\u009d label. \u00e2\u0080\u009cRiyadh Cargo<\/span>\u00e2\u0080\u00a6 is who … of the business. Riyadh Cargo<\/span>, the cargo<\/span> brand of Riyadh … across temperature\u00e2\u0080\u0091controlled cargo<\/span>, perishables, and sensitive …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-124338","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","wpcat-1-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124338","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=124338"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124338\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=124338"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=124338"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=124338"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}