His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, president of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, chairman of Dubai Airports, chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline and Group, opened today Airport Show 2025 at the Dubai World Trade Center (DWTC), which will run until May 8, 2025.
Sheikh Ahmed toured the B2B exhibition pavilions with top aviation officials and industry stakeholders and engaged with various exhibitors and learning more about the latest technologies shaping the airport industry.
More than 6,000 trade visitors from 30 countries are attending the Middle East, Africa and South Asia’s (MEASA) largest airport industry B2B platform to explore innovations and technologies that shape future airports including advances in enhancing the passenger experience, airport traffic management, airport carbon-reduction and sustainability, digitalization and Urban Air Mobility (UAM).
Middle East aviation demand to surge
The three-day Dubai Airport Show 2025 is welcoming the participation of 140 exhibitors from 22 countries who will meet, network and do business with highly-qualified buyers from over 70 organizations from 30 countries. This year’s event kicks off in the wake of the Middle East and neighboring regions experiencing a significant surge in airport expansion projects, driven by a robust recovery in global aviation and optimistic projections for passenger growth.
With expectations to handle approximately 1.1 billion passengers annually by 2040, up from 405 million in 2019, the Middle East is investing heavily in infrastructure to meet this demand.
Commenting on the region’s growth, Sheikh Ahmed remarked: “Dubai’s aviation sector is on a clear upward trajectory, driven by infrastructure expansion and the adoption of new technologies. As major contributors to our economy and global connectivity, both Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International (DWC) will continue to play a leading role in shaping the future of air travel through the 2030s and beyond, delivering world-class performance and operational excellence. We remain firmly on our journey of progress, with many more milestones ahead in strengthening Dubai’s global reputation.”
Global tech leaders showcase aviation innovations
Global technology majors are showcasing the latest innovative products and services that improve the efficiency and performance of the aviation industry.
Amel Chadli, president of Gulf Countries, Schneider Electric, said: “We are proud to be the ‘Technology Partner’ for the Airport Show, showcasing our latest integrated solutions for the aviation industry from facility management to passenger experience and how we help airports around the world reduce their environmental impact”.
Chadli added that Schneider Electric’s participation reflects its deep commitment to shaping the future of aviation through digitalization and electrification.
WAISL, an aviation-focused digital transformation company, is a gold sponsor at Dubai Airport Show 2025. “We’re presenting AEROWISE — a Digital Twin-powered Airport Predictive Operations Center (APOC) driving Total Airport Management, enabling real-time and predictive decision making – with one single goal to drive operations transformation and efficiency,” said Preetham Kamesh, strategic advisor and acting global business officer, WAISL Limited.
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Middle Eastern airports require $151 billion in investments by 2040
The Dubai Airport Show 2025 is being held at a time when global air traffic is on a strong growth track. In 2025, as per the ACI World, global passenger traffic will reach 9.9 billion, while the ICAO projects global RPK to rise to 9.4 trillion. Global passenger traffic, according to an ACI World-ICAO Passenger Traffic Report, will also exceed 12 billion by 2030.
The Middle East and Asia-Pacific are expected to account for 58 percent of global air passenger demand by 2040. The Middle Eastern airports will require $151 billion in investments by 2040 to handle an expected surge in passenger numbers. The Eastern airlines saw a 9.4 percent traffic rise in 2024 compared to 2023, with capacity increasing 8.4 percent and load factor rising to 80.8 percent.
