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New Dh1b venue for next Dubai Airshow

The next edition of the biennial Dubai Airshow will get a brand new venue in 2013 and a Dh1b investment has been announced for the relocation of the show.

DUBAI — The next edition of the biennial Dubai Airshow will be much bigger than this year as the mega event will get a brand new venue in 2013 and a Dh1 billion investment has been announced for the relocation of the show.

The new venue will encompass a larger area than the current facility and will consist of a grand reception building, two large exhibition halls, and static display areas, which will offer more space to accommodate additional aircraft.

“The move of Dubai Airshow 2013 to Dubai World Central is an example of Dubai’s long-term plan to meet the growing demands of the industry,” Shaikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman, Dubai Aviation City Corporation, said in a statement.

Dubai World Central is one of the most ambitious projects of its kind in the world comprising the new Al Maktoum International Airport, set to be the world’s largest in volume and size upon completion, and the adjacent specialised free zones focused on logistics sectors and aviation industries.

“Dubai World Central is an integral component of the strategic vision of Dubai Government to establish the emirate as an international aviation hub and a gateway to global markets,” Shaikh Ahmed said.

The 2011 airshow, which is dominated by Emirates airline’s $18 billion deal, has recorded $47 billion orders and three times more than the tally of the last show, according to the organiser.

The next airshow will be one of many new superlatives, according to an analyst. “A bigger footprint, a bigger show site with more room for international guests and companies to showcase their businesses — it would be reckless of us to dismiss these ambitions,” FBE Aerospace founder and chief analyst Saj Ahmad told Khaleej Times.

“While we may have been accustomed to the usual show gatherings at Farnborough and Le Bourget (Paris), Dubai’s airshow is the hub for all of the growth we’re seeing in the Mideast and its little wonder that this Dh1 billion investment is just the first of many tranches to make the new venue a centrepiece not just for the UAE, but as an icon and benchmark for global aviation,” he added.