The Middle East gears up for the 2013 Airport Show in Dubai

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA), Chairman of Dubai Airports, and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates airline & Group, said, aviation is now established as a vital contributor to the UAE’s economy, contributing more than Dh145 billion (US$39.47bn) or 14.7 percent to the national GDP.

He added: “This contribution is projected to grow further in the coming years and as such justifies the country's huge investment in airports and airline networks. Aviation and logistics have had a major impact on other economic sectors such as tourism, hospitality, trade and finance, and activity in one spurs growth in the others.”

Middle East Airports are expected to handle over 400 million passengers by 2020. Earlier this year, Director General ACI World, Angela Gittens said: “Within 20 years, traffic is forecast to double and governments and private investors must now build the capacity needed, without further delay to plan for this expansion and modernization. Governments and private investors must not shy about committing to infrastructure investment that is so crucially linked to economic development.”

Airport Show 2013 hopes of achieving a significant growth when it takes off on May 6 at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre (DICEC).

This year’s event will showcase the latest technologies in the airports industry, and attract airport and aviation professionals from around the world. A two-day international conference titled Global Airport Leaders’ Forum will also take place along the sidelines of the show, offering the industry a platform to address the global challenges that it faces and encourage cross border partnerships and cooperation.

The Forum will act as a global industry meeting of CEOs and experts to generate solutions, drive improvement and innovation to overcome shared policy, security, technology, capacity, environment and business growth challenges for continued airport expansion and passenger satisfaction. It will address leadership strategies and provide insights into how to develop collaborative aviation policies, and position airports as engines for national economic growth. The forum will also develop themes of future planning and innovation, and topics for discussion will include sustainability, technology and management.
Airport Show 2013 assumes greater significance with a large number of debuting and returning exhibitors, new national pavilions and a dedicated Airport Passenger Experience (APE) area, showcasing the latest cutting edge technologies from around the world. It will see Germany, Switzerland, France and China participate with national pavilions as before, and Malaysia is coming in with a national pavilion for the first time. The 2012 event attracted 211 exhibitors from 32 countries.