Though most of the world’s economy remains in the doldrums, such is not the case in the Middle East. And general aviation is riding the wave of prosperity there, as evidenced by the strong showing at this year’s Middle East Business Aviation (MEBA) show this week. Numbers of exhibitors are up 40 percent compared with two years ago, with 338 vendors from 33 separate countries showing their wares. Registered visitors are up to more than 7,000 compared with 5,500 for the last MEBA event, making it the third largest in the world after the U.S. NBAA Convention and the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition. The growth could lead to new venues for the MEBA show, as it may have outgrown its Dubai host facility. Al Bateen Executive Airport in Abu Dhabi is seen as one of the most likely new locations for the next show to run Dec. 11-13, 2012.
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