The 24th edition of the Airport Show will be held today (May 6th) at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).
The event will be held under the auspices of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktum, chairman of Dubai Airport, president of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, and is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Airlines and Group.
For three days from May 6 to May 8, Middle East, Africa and South Asia (Measa)’s largest airport industrial B2B platform attracts over 6,000 participants from over 30 countries and explores the innovations and technologies that will shape the future airports, including passenger experience, airport traffic management, airport carbon return and sustainability, digitalization and improving urban air mobility.
This edition features over 140 exhibitors from over 20 countries who network and do business with more than 50 highly qualified buyers from over 70 organizations from 30 countries.
The confirmers confirmed that buyers from the airport, airlines, ground handlers, and buyers from Armenia, Croatia, Djibouti, Egypt, Ghana, India, Iraq, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon and Malawi were on the way. Malaysia, Maldives, Morocco, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Turkey, Uganda, Uzbekistan.
His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktum said, “Dubai International (DXB) has held its position as the world’s leading airport for international passengers for 11th consecutive year, with traffic throughout both airports being stable.
He added: “We have made consistent investments to expand and upgrade the airport and strengthened Dubai’s role as a global gateway.
Over the past 20 years, Dubai has provided the ideal environment for airport shows to grow into a prominent industrial platform.
With the planned expansion of Dubai World Central – Almaqtoum International (DWC), we are now setting the stage for a new era of global benchmarks in airport development.
His Highness stated: “Since 2001, we have seen the growth and boundaries of airport shows have evolved over the years, becoming the largest airport industrial B2B platform in the Measa region.
“It offers key stakeholders, policymakers and technical decision makers the opportunity to exchange networks, knowledge, gain insights and discuss the growth opportunities and challenges facing the aviation industry. The 24th edition of the Airport Show undoubtedly takes the joint journey of growth to a new level.”
He said Mohammed Abdullah Rengawi, Director of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, said, “We at Dubai Civil Aviation Authority are delighted to be part of Airport Show 2025, a global platform that brings aviation leaders and experts from around the world.”
“Our participation reflects our commitment to strengthening Dubai’s position as a global aviation hub focused on innovation, best practices, safety, security and sustainability. Collaboration and knowledge exchange are key factors in progress and we look forward to exploring opportunities to support the growth of this vital sector,” he added.
The show is designed to serve the US$1 trillion airport development market in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) regions. Airports in the Middle East will handle 1.1 billion passengers by 2040. Africa is focusing on expanding its existing hubs and building new airports to become a major aviation hub.
According to the CAPA-Centre of Aviation, existing airports in Africa have Now24 infrastructure projects, costing US$2.3 billion, or on average US$96 million.
Ethiopia is currently building a new airport to handle 60 million passengers per year by 2040, aiming to become the largest in Africa. In Senegal, Blaze Diagne International Airport is currently being constructed in two stages, with 10 million passengers ultimately showing their capabilities a year.
Rwanda’s new US$650 million Kigali Airport is under construction. South Asia has witnessed the rapid expansion and modernization of airports, particularly in India. The world’s most populous country is set to build more than 220 new airports by 2035.
The Indian airport sector is expected to attract approximately US$12 billion by 2030 to develop Greenfield Airport, expand existing facilities and upgrade infrastructure at existing airports.
A special focus at the world-class gathering will focus on the development of USD 35 billion at Al Maktoum International Airport (AMIA-DWC), which will acquire a final A capacity of 260 million passengers upon completion.
By 2030, Saudi Arabia has built a US$500 billion megahub in Riyadh, targeting 300 million passengers. These two huge projects account for almost 80% of spending on airport development in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
Its bystanders will be the Global Airport Leaders Forum and two meetings of women from the Aviation Middle East Conference, as well as over 30 sessions and over 70 aviation leaders and expert speakers.
The 12th Global Airport Leader Forum (GALF) is designed to advance the aerial knowledge and enhancement agenda with keynote speeches by Director General Mohamed Ahmed Almari (GDRFA) of Aviation Knowledge and Foreign Affairs and Director Abdullah Al Shamsi, Engineering and Director of the Dubai Aviation Engineering Project (DAEP) (DAEP).
The exhibition will be a destination for experiencing and sourcing the latest innovation and trend setting technologies, and a destination for signing transactions that will enable airports to achieve exemplary growth.
GALF has over 50 aviation, policy makers, airport business leaders and technology experts that will encourage meaningful engagement and knowledge sharing on key challenges and growth opportunities in a technology-driven world.
The Airport Show is hosted by RX, a global company that hosts around 350 events worldwide, providing valuable insights into the issues and technologies that shape airports in an ever-evolving, competitive global business environment.
May Ismail, event manager for RX Middle East, invited airport industry experts to take advantage of the Airport Show (10am-5pm) and use conferences including GALF to “update and recreate” their knowledge and technical skills.
Participants will be able to meet key players from Honeywell, Emaratech, Smiths Detection, ADB Safegate, Naffco, Schneider Electric, Siemens, Dar Al Handasah and Artelia Aviation Information Technology Company.
An unparalleled networking and sourcing platform provides networking opportunities, improving many knowledge to promote collaboration and professional growth.
The Business-to-Business (B2B) show is a window to showcase and promote products and services to airport industry stakeholders, as well as providing insight into the latest technology trends and opportunities to build strong business relationships.
Airport Show 2025 will offer an enhanced experience to launch exciting new features, including GSE Zones, Airport Tech Pavilion, and Airport Design Hub. This year’s event continues to enjoy strong support from key aviation authorities and organizations, with the support of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Dubai Airport, Dubai Aviation Engineering Project, Emirates Airlines, Group, DANS and DNATA.
Players from major industries are also participating as event partners and sponsors. Amadeus leads as a strategic partner at the event, with Schneider Electric participating as a technology partner. Gold Sponsor WAISL has joined sponsors Dubai Airlines Navigation Services (DANS), Smith Detection and ADB Safegate.
The ATC Forum benefits from the support of both Dubai Air Navigation Services (DANS) and Global Air Navigation Services (GANS), while the airport’s security forum is supported by the Dubai Police.
Airport Show 2025 works with several major associations, including the Women’s Branch of the Aviation Middle East, the Association of Contractors, Supply Chain and Logistics Group (SCLG), and the Dubai Aviation Business Committee (DAOC).
