At MEBA 2007, a portfolio of orders for US $ 907 million was registered
The International Industrial Conference and Exhibition of Regional Business Aviation Middle East Business aviation (MEBa) in 2007 was so resounding that it was decided to hold it in 2008 for three days. the impetus for such a decision was the feedback from participants and visitors of the exhibition, which was held for two days in the halls of Dubai Airport-Expo. The most significant event, according to the organizers of the show, was the portfolio of orders of the emirate company Wallan Aviation, in the amount of US $ 907 million, which has already acquired Cessna aircraft in the amount of US $ 75 million.
“During the exhibition, we sold two cessna airplanes - one to a private charter operator in Dubai, the other to our client from Saudi Arabia. We also sold two Mustangs to our new customer, whom we first met at MEWA and who intends to use them as airplanes taxis in the Gulf region, "said Saad Vallan, CEO of Wallan Aviation.
The order for cessna airplanes, which arrived literally in the last hours of the exhibition, topped the list of aviation portfolios, which had previously led to a US $ 580 million deal with airbus, a US $ 250 million contract between the Saudi private business jet operator and Netjets ( affiliate of National Air Services) for 20 Hawker 750 aircraft from Raytheon Aircraft and confirmation of the purchase of four Bombardier Learjet 60 Xr aircraft for US $ 52 million from Saudi Arabian businessman Gassan Tabba Shalabi, as well as buyers from Kuwait and the UAE.
The event caused such a strong resonance among the conference delegates, participants and visitors of the show that it became clear that business aviation was entering the position of the most dynamically developing industry in the world. More than 30 airliners were exhibited at the Airport-Expo demo site, the number of participants representing 20 countries exceeded 90. According to the organizers' report, 2,401 people visited the MEWA exhibition, including members of the ruling families of the Gulf countries, heads of corporations and large companies of the Middle East and Africa , as well as the head of the family conglomerates of the Gulf countries. Among the highest-ranking visitors to the exhibition, His Royal Highness Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud from Saudi Arabia and Dr. Vijay Malaya, Chairman and Managing Director of India Kingfisher Airlines, should be noted.
"Business aviation is becoming necessary, both at the regional and international levels, thanks to an increase in international trade, commercial and tourist ties," said Prince Sultan. “Many passengers are not happy with the services of regular airlines. Saudi businessmen, for example, are so active that they simply need private jets to make their operations more efficient.
Many business people from Saudi Arabia start their day at 8 in the morning on their own airliner in Kuwait, then fly around several cities there and return home in the evening. Private jets are a very convenient form of transport in Saudi Arabia itself, because the territory of our country is huge, and it takes time to cross from north to south and vice versa. "
In an address to the conference delegates, Ali Al Nakby, chairman of the Middle East Business Aviation Association, said that the Saudi Arabian market occupies the largest segment in the region's business aviation sector and owns more than 50% of private airliners, of which there are about 300 in the region today.
In addition to him, His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Department of Civil Aviation of Dubai and Chairman of the Emirates Group, and Her Excellency Sheikh Lubna Al Kassimi, Minister of Economy of the UAE, called on the Gulf countries for closer cooperation in the development of business aviation.
The MEWA-2008 is scheduled for November 23-25 of the next year.
