Ahmed, also chief executive officer of the Emirates Group, said
soaring fuel prices have not restricted the growth of the aerospace
industry. He said he would brief Western executives on opportunities in the
Gulf during the Farnborough International Airshow outside London on July
14-20.
"The movement of small business planes in the Middle East is growing by
18 percent a year compared with the global average of 10 percent," Ahmed
said on July 9. "This in turn is boosting global sales despite increasing
fuel prices and the U.S. credit crisis which has seen fewer Americans
placing orders for private jets last year."
The United Arab Emirates has become an aviation hub in the Gulf. The
emirate of Dubai intends to host a 140-square kilometer urban aviation and
maintenance center, titled Dubai World Central.
"The Middle East's share of the overall aviation market in the region is
expected to double to 40 percent," DWC executive chairman Khalifa Al Zafein
said. "And with DWC building the region's largest executive jet terminal
with an eventual handling capacity of 100,000 flight movements annually, the
region will have unrestrained capacity for business aviation flights."
Since 2005, Dubai has reported a 30 percent increase in executive
flights. The Middle East contains 22 private jet operators, prepared to
purchase many of the 1,250 jets forecast for 2008.
"Last year saw nearly 9,000 executive jet movements at Dubai
International Airport," DWC Aviation City chief executive officer Abdullah
Al Quraishi said.
