The sixth Airport Build and Supply Exhibition, to be held from June 5 to 7, is attracting a record response, with over 400 of the world’s leading suppliers expected to descend on Dubai to capitalise on more than $40 billion worth of airport developments currently taking place across the Middle East.

“The exhibition space sold for the event is already up 30 per cent compared with last year,” says a spokesman for the organiser Streamline Marketing group. “This comes at a time when regional airport growth is accelerating rapidly to cope with the huge projected increase in commercial air traffic, while record oil prices and the booming regional economy have enabled Middle East governments to allocate billions of dollars for infrastructure development.
 “The only dedicated trade show for airport construction, operations technologies and services in the region, the show has become well established as a major forum for the selection and pre-qualification of suppliers for airport development schemes not only in the Gulf but also across the Middle East, Africa, the Indian subcontinent and the CIS countries,” says the spokesman.
Among the major projects attracting the attention of suppliers are the $8.1 billion Jebel Ali International Airport development in Dubai, which will create the region’s first ‘Airport City’; the $4.1 billion revamp of Dubai International Airport; the $6.8 billion expansion of Abu Dhabi International Airport and the ongoing $5.5 billion New Doha International Airport in Qatar.
The organisers expect more than 400 exhibitors, up from 322 last year, and over 4,000 trade visitors to make it to the show. Dedicated pavilions will represent specific countries including Germany, UK, the Netherlands, France, Canada, Finland, China, Australia and India.