Next month’s Dubai Airshow – the 10th in the biennial series – is to have its largest-ever delegations programme with top civil and military officials from 77 countries having been invited to the world’s third largest airshow, which runs at Airport Expo Dubai from November 11-15.
The delegations programme has been devised by the Dubai’s Civil Aviation Department, the UAE Defence Ministry and the UAE Airforce.
“The geographic reach of the delegations programme is wider than ever reflecting the growth in the past two years of the Middle East’s aviation reach with more carriers from more countries now using the UAE as an arrivals and departure base,” said Alison Weller, Director-Aerospace, Fairs & Exhibitions (F&E), which organises the Dubai Airshow.
“This is particularly good news for this year’s show, which is the largest to date, as Dubai’s delegations programme has also been particularly successful and a key selling point for the event. Through it, exhibitors get to meet the highest level of decision makers in a business setting, something that could take months, if not years, to achieve.”
The invited delegates come from all corners of the globe from North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, Indian Sub-continent, North Africa, the Mediterranean, Africa, Russia and the Far East. They include: Defence ministers and air force commanders, transport ministers, heads of airlines and civil aviation authorities and chiefs of staff.
In addition to the high-powered delegations due at Dubai Airshow 2007, the event, which is open only to industry visitors, is expected to attract a turnout of up to 40,000 aviation professionals.
“Our industry-only policy has stood the show in good stead over the years and has helped ensure Dubai maintains its ranking as one of the top three global aerospace events,” said Weller.
Close to 900 exhibitors from 50 countries are participating in Dubai Airshow 2007 – with 130 of these being new to the region. The show will feature 11 country pavilions and first-time representation from the Cayman Islands, which will see its government registry take part; Afghanistan, represented by Safi Airways; Luxembourg by maintenance service provider CAE Aviation, the Philippines with Beechcraft spares stockist Aerospace Products International and Ethiopia which will be represented by its national carrier.
The Dubai Airshow 2007 static display will host over 140 aircraft including the Airbus A380, the SR22 - the world's fastest-selling, single-engined four-seater aircraft, a Lockheed Martin F-16 and a host of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and business jets. The Russian MIG 29 multi-role fighter aircraft will take to the skies during the show's daily flying display which will also feature performances by three of the world's top aerobatics display team - Britain's Red Arrows, the Patrouille de France, and Spain's Patrulla Aguila which is making its Arabian Gulf debut.
This year's Dubai Airshow will be the last at Airport Expo Dubai, with future growth being accommodated by a move in 2009 to a purpose-built site at Dubai Exhibition World, which is being built at Dubai World Central, the huge urban aviation complex currently underway at Jebel Ali, 30 kilometres outside Dubai city.
The Dubai Airshow is open to industry-linked visitors only. Visitor tickets are available from the box office at Airport Expo Dubai.
About Fairs & Exhibitions’ Aerospace Division:
Fairs & Exhibitions (F&E) is one of the most influential names in the aerospace industry’s events sector having conceptualized the Dubai Airshow and organised it, in conjunction with the Department of Civil Aviation, Government of Dubai and in collaboration with the UAE Armed Forces, since its inception in 1989. This year marks the 10th anniversary edition of the Dubai Airshow with Dubai 2007 taking place at the Airport Expo in November.
F&E, which maintains offices in London and Dubai, has widespread and long-standing relationships with the global aerospace industry, an in-depth knowledge of the industry it serves and a hard-earned reputation for delivering event excellence.
The company also organises the Middle East Business Aviation (MEBA) conference and exhibition on behalf of the Middle East Business Aviation Association. MEBA is now a biennial event with the 2008 edition scheduled for November next year.
Aircraft Interiors Middle East (AIME) is a new event emerging from F&E’s dedicated Aerospace Division. It will be held at the Airport Expo Dubai in June 2008 and will service the region’s rapidly developing commercial and business aviation fleets.
The Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) Middle East Exhibition & Conference is the latest event to be added to F&E’s growing portfolio. The event will be organised in conjunction with AVIATION WEEK, which has an excellent track record of organising MRO events. The inaugural event is to be held in the beginning of 2009 to cater to growing regional demand for MRO services.
