MEBA 2010 Starts Strong, New Venue Possible in 2012

BJT Staff

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December 2010

The fourth Middle East Business Aviation (MEBA) show is off to a strong start, with exhibitor numbers climbing more than 40 percent from 2008 and registered visitors topping the 7,000 mark, up from 5,500. This year, there are 338 exhibitors from 33 countries, up from 250 in 2008, and 53 aircraft on static display. Alison Weller, managing director of show organizer F&E Aerospace, which is producing the show for the Middle East Business Aviation Association (MEBAA), said MEBA is now the third-largest business aviation show in the world, behind the annual NBAA and EBACE shows. But the rapid growth of MEBA could mean that this will be the show's last staging in Dubai for the time being, with plans being made to relocate the event to another prime location in the Arabian Gulf. The dates for the next show are Dec. 11 to 13, 2012, but the venue has not yet been finalized, according to MEBA founding chairman Ali Al Naqbi. "MEBA was born to move around the Middle East," he said. "We have a couple of requests [from other venues] and are evaluating [them]." Abu Dhabi's Al Bateen Executive Airport is widely viewed as the frontrunner as the next venue for MEBA, but that has not been officially confirmed.