Dubai Airshow - The history

The show, which took off with resounding success in 1989 spurred by substantial Middle East investment in civil and military aviation, is now ranked as the world's third largest event of its kind after undergoing significant growth.

Conceptualised and organised by Fairs & Exhibitions (F&E), 200 exhibitors took part in Dubai 89. The show covered 7,000 square metres at Dubai International Airport, taking up one large exhibition hall. Twenty-five aircraft were on display and 10,000 industry visitors attended.

Dubai 89 was in fact a strategic evolution of Arab Air - a much smaller civil aviation trade show which F&E had twice previously organised at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

What was particularly helpful was the enthusiasm of the Dubai Government. Like F&E, the Dubai Rulers believed aviation industry development and the maturing of the Middle East market, meant Dubai could stage a show of international proportions covering all aspects of civil and military aviation.

The show grounds were impressive and the trade-only attendance policy established at the very beginning was greatly appreciated by exhibitors.

Dubai 91

News of the success of Dubai 89 quickly circulated on the international aerospace scene and global players literally rushed to sign up for Dubai 91. In conjunction with the Dubai Government and the Department of Civil Aviation, the show grounds were quickly expanded to cater to the upturn in interest.

An additional hangar was allocated as an exhibition hall and the show quickly grew, with 400 companies from 40 nations and 67 aircraft. The show was already three times as big as Dubai 89.

Dubai 91 had been scheduled for January but then fate stepped in and the outbreak of the Gulf War led to the show being postponed until November. The impact was that there was another surge in the number of would-be exhibitors, particularly from land defence and naval companies. In 1991 the IDEX international defence exhibition in Abu Dhabi did not exist so Dubai 91 accommodated these additional sectors. Dubai 91 had a definite military focus, which was an obvious aftermath of the Gulf War.

Dubai 93

By 1993, the IDEX had been launched in Abu Dhabi focussing specifically on land and naval military equipment, whilst the Dubai Airshow focussed specifically on aviation and aerospace - though military aviation was, and continues to be, a major element.

In 1993 the split between civil and military participants was almost even. The Dubai Airshow grew significantly - with Dubai 93 taking up some 28,000 square metres as opposed to 20,000 in 1991. The increase was due to a large number of new companies looking to penetrate the Middle East market.

Dubai 93 featured 450 exhibitors from 33 countries, eight national pavilions, 84 aircraft and attracted 20,000 industry-linked visitors.

Dubai 95

The growth trend continued and Dubai 95 was even bigger. This time the show ground measured 30,000 square metres and some 500 companies from 24 countries took part, including seven national pavilions. A total of 104 aircraft were on display and 25,000 industry visitors attended the show.

As a result of the heavy demand for space, exhibition Hall B had to be expanded and the additional area was totally booked by the South African delegation. The show had increased emphasis on the civil aviation side with many suppliers of airport equipment present.

Though all the big names of international aviation were out in force, what was particularly significant was the number of small to medium-sized industry suppliers present.

The entire show site was upgraded for Dubai 95 with a walkway bridge linking the two giant exhibition halls. Additional double-decker chalets were also built - bringing the total number of chalets to 93.

Dubai 97

As in previous years, Dubai 97, set new ground. Once again there were site improvements and 500 companies from 31 countries participated. The show featured eight national pavilions.

Bigger changes were yet to come. The next event in the biennial pattern of the Dubai Airshow was held in November 1999 but was titled Dubai 2000 as it was firmly focused on the new millennium.

Dubai 2000

At Dubai 2000 exhibitors and visitors focused on a new era of challenges for the aviation industry. Many new developments were evident in Dubai - including the new Airport Expo Centre - the new purpose-built home of the Dubai Airshow.

The Government of Dubai's gave go-ahead for this ambitious permanent ground enabled F&E to 'grow' the show on a scale not previously possible.

The site, which was instigated by, and received the personal approval of, His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, then Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Defence Minister, was nothing short of spectacular.

This project clearly placed the Dubai Airshow ground in a class of its own - surpassing facilities at main rivals Le Bourget, Farnborough and Singapore.

The Dubai Government had expressed, in the most solid terms possible, its commitment and determination to guarantee the future of this market-leading international event. The new venue could accommodate ever-increasing demand from the international aviation community which knew the Middle East represented excellent long-term business potential.

A great deal of time, skill and energy went into the development of this project. The combined experience of the Government, the Department of Civil Aviation, F&E and that of official contractors, exhibitors and visitors was drawn upon to ensure all aspects of operational needs were amply catered for.

The new venue included two massive, purpose-built exhibitions halls, providing 25,000 square metres of air-conditioned exhibition space. Both halls incorporated an additional 3,000 square metres of exhibitor facilities such as duty free shops, first aid centres, restaurants and support facilities at ground level and a further 3,600 square metres of offices, press facilities and TV studios on the mezzanine levels.

The out-door exhibition area was strategically placed and a new 18-metre high control tower was built. The site also incorporated a dedicated services area for: a container park, contractors' offices and aircraft maintenance as well as a fully-fledged clinic.

Hospitality chalets underwent total refurbishment providing a total of 84 permanent chalets - 64 double-storey and 20 single-storey.

The main reception building had dedicated areas for exhibitors, organisers, VIPs, official delegations and visitor registration. A total of 4,500 square metres on the ground floor housed shops, banks, a mosque and two restaurants while 3,000 square metres on the mezzanine floor comprised business centres and executive facilities.

Leading from the reception building towards the exhibition halls, the site featured a spectacular open-air and fully landscaped central plaza, complete with water feature.

Some 500 exhibitors from 37 countries took part in Dubai 2000, which also featured 13 national/industry pavilions, 80 aircraft - 17 of which took part in the daily flying display, including two international aerobatic squads, the UK's Red Arrows and the Patrouille de France.

Just over 30,000 visitors from 90 countries attended - a five per cent rise in turnout on Dubai 97. The geographical spread of visitors gave credence to the claim that the Dubai Airshow had become a truly international event serving the global aerospace industry. Aviation business professionals came from the Middle and Near East, Indian Sub-continent, Asia, the CIS, Africa, Australia, Europe and the USA. F&E received exceptional exhibitor feedback on the very high calibre of visitor, with many being of company president or chief executive status.

Dubai 2000 also welcomed VIPs, government officials and top ranking military personnel from over 50 nations as part of the event's hugely successful delegations programme

The show's trade-only policy and strong delegations programme helped bring about a US $713 million tally in confirmed on-site deals - though the 400 plus media corps from over 22 countries, which attended, put the final figure achieved at over US $2 billion.

Dubai 2001

This was the show that successfully rose to the challenge of the downturn in the aviation industry following the events of September 11th 2001, and closed its run with a confirmed order intake of a record US$15.605 billion.

The show, which had a distinct 60:40 civil/military split, opened with 450 exhibitors from 33 countries and 10 national pavilions, including first-time official participation by a Swedish group - Swedish Civil Aviation Group (SCAG), a government-sponsored umbrella organisation which boasts 29 members. The show was strongly supported by the world's leading aerospace players, including Airbus, Boeing and Lockheed Martin.

Exhibitor bookings had reached sell-out prior to September 11th and though the show did have around 50 cancellations, mainly from the small-to-medium sector, new exhibitors were contracted in the final weeks from Canada, the UAE, USA, Germany and Russia. These included key industry names such as Goodrich Corp - a global supplier of aviation systems and services and Aeroports de Paris, the nationwide French airport operator.

The show delivered greater than ever exhibitor value with an upgraded delegations programme which saw more than 80 heads of civil aviation authorities, chiefs of staff and transport ministry VIPs from 24 countries visit and network with exhibitors.

These included His Royal Highness Prince Andrew, Britain's Duke of York and His Highness, the Emir of Bahrain as well as Transport Ministers from Cyprus and France.

In excess of 25 airline board directors attended from Germany, Jordan, Kuwait, Pakistan, Qatar, Turkey, Algeria, Iran, Syria and Yemen.

The programme also had a strong military presence with all six Arab GCC states sending defence ministers, chiefs of staff or air force commanders - in some cases, two of the three. Internationally, defence ministers attended from Italy, the UK, Sudan, Sri Lanka and South Africa, while over 30 chiefs of staff and air force commanders also visited.

And for the first time, the delegations programme, compiled in conjunction with the UAE Ministry of Defence and the Department of Civil Aviation, Government of Dubai, saw full-time liaison officers based in the two exhibition halls who were responsible for introducing decision-makers to exhibitors.

Some 40 aircraft were on display - 13 took part in the daily flying displays, which also featured performances from three aerobatics teams - Britain's Red Arrows, the Patrouille de France and Italy's Frecce Tricolori.

The Dubai 2001 programme also featured two specialised industry conferences - one addressing the finance needs of the aviation sector, the other the I.T. requirements.

Dubai 2003

For Dubai 2003 F&E again improved and expanded the existing Dubai Airshow model. Exhibitors were full of praise for the show and many reported "incredible" levels of good business leads.

Dubai 2003 was the fastest-selling in the Dubai Airshow's history. Some 550 companies from 36 countries participated and there were 13 national pavilions, including for the first time, Ukraine and Jordan. The show was a sell-out with a 12% increase in occupied space. An international media corps in excess of 1,300 reported on the show's events and just over 25,000 industry visitors from 84 countries attended.

Opening the show, His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid al Maktoum, then Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Defence Minister, announced that facilities at the Airport Expo Dubai - the Dubai Airshow's permanent home - were to be doubled to cope with increasing demand.

For the first time the Middle East Air Chiefs Conference was held the day before the show, organised by Defence News in close association with the Chief of the UAE Air Force, air chiefs from around the world were invited to attend and present.

This time over 550 exhibitors from 36 countries came to Dubai, a growth of 12% on 2001, together with 27,000 visitors from 106 countries and 85 aircraft on static display. Despite overcoming two years of challenges with the slide in the aviation industry and the political upheaval in the Middle East, the Dubai 2003 event proved itself to be the fastest growing air show in the fastest growing aviation region.

Dubai 2005

This was the most successful Dubai Airshow to date in terms of exhibitor, visitor and aircraft numbers, size and declared on-site deals, breaking new records with 25% floor space growth over Dubai 2003. The show featured some 726 exhibitors from 46 countries, 15 national pavilions - three of which, Austria, Turkey and India were new to the show, new training & simulation and unmanned aerial vehicle pavilions, an expanded delegations programme featuring civil aviation chiefs, airline presidents, Ministers of Defence, Chiefs of Staff and air force commanders from 88 countries and over 100 aircraft, including some 40 business jets.

Due to the continuing growth of the show the 2005 edition boasted a new hall. The Government of Dubai, Department of Civil Aviation built a Central Hall adding an additional 10,000 square metres to the Airport Expo site. The new space linked the existing East and West halls creating visitor free-flow through all three sections.

Four conferences were held alongside the show including the inaugural MEBA conference dedicated to business aviation. The success of this conference spawned a Middle East Business Aviation Association (MEBAA) and a joint show organised in the odd year to the Dubai Airshow.

Dubai 2005 was a record-breaker in terms of disclosed on-site orders which totalled some US $21.3 billion - the highest ever for a Dubai Airshow surpassing its previous Dubai 2001 peak by over US $6 million.

There are now four show dailies at the Dubai Airshow, over 1300 accredited press attended and the 2007 event promises to be even bigger and better as the Dubai Airshow will celebrate its 10th anniversary

Dubai 2007

The 10th edition of the Dubai Airshow and the final edition to be held at Airport Expo Dubai before its 2009 move to the purpose-built Dubai Exhibition World at Dubai World Central, the huge urban aviation community being built at Jebel Ali, a 30 minutes' drive from Dubai city centre.

Huge demand empowered organisers F&E to come up with 'creative floor planning' solutions to cope with response while living within the space constraints of Airport Expo Dubai. Exhibition hall aisles have been narrowed. Outdoor space and stair wells have been drafted into use for individual exhibitor pavilions.

The show has so far recorded a 40% increase on floor space on Dubai 2005. A key element of this year's show is the high propensity of new-to-market exhibitors - 130 to date from 24 countries - accounting for one tenth of the show's entire exhibitor profile.

Amongst those lining up for the Dubai Airshow for the first time this year are: the UAE's own Mubadala Aerospace Division and Falcon Aviation, which supplies point-to-point air services with its helicopter and jet fleet; a string of exhibitors from the USA including Cirrus, which designs, manufactures and markets general aviation composite aircraft and Eclipse, the name behind the very first light jet; Switzerland's Grob Aerospace, one of the world's largest and most experienced composite aircraft manufacturers; Germany's Henkel Aerospace, which makes aerospace structural adhesives; Russia's International Association of Space Activities and Sweden's Volvo Aero, which makes hi-tech components for aircraft rocket engines.

Dubai Aerospace Enterprise, the global aerospace manufacturing and services corporation headquartered in the emirate, is to also make its debut for 2007 as the event's first-ever host-sposor. The move is a clear indication of Dubai's growing importance on the global aerospace stage and the Dubai Airshow's role of attracting world-class companies.

To date (October 2007) the show is 98% booked with now close to 900 exhibitors from 47 countries. This includes first time participation from: the Cayman Islands which will see its government registry take part; Afghanistan, represented by Safi Airways; Luxembourg by maintenance service provider CAE Aviation and the Philippines with Beechcraft spares stockist Aerospace Products International.

The show, to date, boasts 11 country pavilions from Canada, the UK, Austria, Germany, France, The Netherlands, US, Ukraine, Russia, Jordan and Sweden.

Three aerobatic display teams will be taking part - Britain's Red Arrows, the Patrouille de France and, for the first time at any Dubai Airshow - Spain's Eagle Patrol - the Patrulla Aguila.