The first air show in Dubai was held in 1986 under the name Arab Air. In 1989 it was renamed Dubai Airshow and has been held every two years since then. Russia began participating in the exhibition in 1993.
Dubai Airshow, an international exhibition of aviation technology and services, is the region's largest air show. During the 27 years of its existence, the airshow has become a significant event in terms of its scale and international appeal, similar to well-known international air and space shows such as Le Bourget in France, Farnborough International in Great Britain, and MAKS in Russia.
Dubai Airshow is held every two years in Dubai with the patronage of the leader of Dubai and the Vice President and Minister of Defense of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The government of Dubai, the Department of Civil Aviation, the Department of Dubai Airports, and the UAE Armed Forces all take part in organizing the exhibition.
The first air show in Dubai was held in 1986 under the name Arab Air. In 1989 it was renamed the Dubai Airshow. 200 companies took part in that exhibition, which presented 25 aircraft. In 2007 the Dubai Airshow became a leader among air shows in terms of attendance, with more than 45,000 specialists from 131 countries in attendance. That year 850 companies from 50 countries participated in the exhibition, with the total amount of signed contracts exceeding $100 billion. The exhibition showcased many different types of aircraft, more than 140 in total, from the giant A380 to small drones.
The Dubai Airshow in 2011 also broke records. The exhibition space occupied 326,000 square meters. More than 1,000 companies from 50 countries presented their products and services that year.
Russia has participated in the Dubai Airshow since 1993. Dubai Airshow-2013 will be held in the Dubai International Airport Exhibition Center from November 17-21. This year’s exhibition promises to be the biggest in its history. One of the organizers, F&E Aerospace, expects at least 60,000 specialists to attend. 55,000 regular visitors are anticipated as well. Additionally, more than 1,000 exhibitors from 48 countries will be participating.
The state corporation Rostec will be organizing Russia’s exhibit at this year’s Dubai Airshow. Russia has taken part in the exhibition since 1993. This year 23 Russian organizations will be participating. In addition to Rostec, five other military-technical corporations will be in attendance: Rosoboronexport, Oboronprom, Sukhoi, MiG, and the gas turbine company Salute.
Russia will use its 443 square meters of exhibition space to demonstrate military equipment of eight Russian organizations, including Rosoboronexport, Sukhoi, MiG, Kaluga Radio Engineering Research Institute, and others. Russia is one of the largest exhibitors, along with the USA, UAE, Germany, Britain, and France. The Russian Knights and Strizhki aerobatic teams will also demonstrate their flying skills as part of Russia’s exhibition.
Since its very first day Dubai Airshow-2013 has been smashing records. The exhibition has already indicated a record number of contracts signed and aircraft ordered on the opening day. The total amount of contracts awarded in just the first few first days of the air show has already exceeded $190 billion, according to the official website of the exhibition. Previously the record for the Dubai Airshow was set in 2007, when the grand total of all new contracts totaled $155 billion.
One of the world's largest airlines, Emirates Airline, has set another record. The Dubai-based company has ordered 150 aircraft from Boeing and has been issued purchasing rights for an additional 50 vessels. Emirates Airline has also acquired 50 aircraft from Airbus at a cost of $99 billion. This purchase is the largest aircraft order in commercial aviation history.
