AN Airport Leaders Summit featuring key industry leaders will be held concurrently with the Airport Show 2011, a leading international event dedicated to airports and the allied industry.

The Airport Show, dedicated to airport construction, operations, technology and services, will be held from May 31 to June 2 at Airport Expo in Dubai, UAE.

Organised by Reed Exhibitions Middle East, the 11th edition of the event is being held under the patronage of Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, president of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, chairman of Dubai Airports and chairman and CEO of Emirates airline and group.

The summit, which will run from May 31 to June 1, will focus on security, sustainable expansion and current economic concerns. The event will offer an unparalleled opportunity to interact with an elite group of decision-makers from governments and businesses worldwide.

“Airport Leaders Summit will bring together industry leaders to examine issues including gaining greater financial viability under the economic downturn. Security and sustainable expansions are also accorded priority on the agenda,” Mohamad Bader-Eddin, show director, Reed Exhibitions Middle East, said.

The summit will bring together government authorities, investors, regulators and developers, as well as technology and service providers to formulate strategies supporting growth of the region’s airport industry.

Key speakers at the event will include Dr Khalid Al Mazroui, general manager, Fujairah International Airport; Mohamed Thamir, vice-president airport operations, Bahrain Airport Company; Jihad Boueri, vice-president, Solution Line, Middle East and North Africa, Sita; Xavier Oh, senior manager Environment and ICAO Liaison, Airports Council International; and Randy McGill, director of Environmental Stewardship, Lester B Pearson International Airport, Canada.

The Airport Show  serves as the perfect catalyst for networking in the Middle East to source state-of-the-art technology and infrastructure in airport constructions, said Bader-Eddin. “This is clearly visible with the participation of strategic projects such as the King Abdulaziz International Airport. Their presence as a key potential buyer will go a long way in facilitating trade in the region. We are also confident that exhibitors and KAIA will significantly benefit through this platform,” he said.

“Complementing KAIA’s presence, we also have King Khaled Airport from Saudi Arabia participating as a hosted buyer. In a marked shift from previous editions of the event, this year’s show is witnessing a surge of interest from potential buyers in Saudi Arabia. Both airports are looking to source a huge bulk of their expansion technology and construction materials at the event, opening up huge opportunities for our exhibitors,” Bader-Eddin said.

The show has already drawn the confirmed participation of an impressive list of airport projects including Fujairah International Airport, Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), Djibouti International Airport, Feeder Airlines of Sudan, Ras Al Khaimah Airport, Tunisia Airport, Sialkot International Airport, Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC), Qeshm International Airport and Oman Airports Management Company.

The Airport Show 2011 will offer a combination of high quality networking and business development opportunities through a series of roundtable discussions, innovation and project seminars. A hosted buyer programme will also be one of the highlights.