Deals at the Dubai Airshow focused on ramping up the infrastructure and services ecosystems of the UAE's aviation landscape amid expected high demand.
The UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority launched a Dh700 million ($190.5 million) programme aimed at the modernisation of air navigation services over the next decade, amid the continued growth of the aviation sector.
The initiative seeks to upgrade services at the Sheikh Zayed Air Navigation Centre by developing advanced technological solutions, investing in human capital and supporting Emiratisation.
The move comes as the industry experiences growth in air traffic, significant infrastructure projects in the UAE's airports and the expansion of local airlines' fleet and network destinations, Saif Al Suwaidi, director general of the GCAA, said.
“There is a logical need for a corresponding increase in airspace capacity and capabilities. This is crucial to bolster the country's position as a regional and international aviation hub,” he said.
The aviation sector continues to post a substantial rebound after economies reopened and travel curbs were lifted following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Global passenger traffic rebounded to 97.3 per cent of its pre-pandemic levels in September, the International Air Transport Association reported last week.
On Wednesday, Dubai International Airport said it expects its annual passenger traffic to exceed pre-pandemic levels in 2023 with a new forecast of 86.8 million travellers, driven by strong growth in the first three quarters of the year.
Dubai Airports revised its forecast upwards from an earlier projection in August of 85 million passengers. The world’s busiest hub by international traffic recorded 86.4 million travellers in 2019.
Aviation is also a key contributor to the economy: the sector adds about 14 per cent to the UAE's gross domestic product, GCAA data shows.
The International Air Transport Association expects the industry to grow by 170 per cent by 2037, supporting 1.4 million jobs compared to the current 777,000. It is forecast to contribute about $128 billion to the country's economy.
“It is natural to work on new investment plans to update air navigation services by employing the latest advanced technology, embracing innovations such as artificial intelligence and blockchain, to achieve the highest levels of safety, efficiency, accuracy and increase airspace capacity,” said Ahmed Al Jallaf, assistant director general for air navigation services at the GCAA.
Deals continue to fly
Emirates signed agreements worth more than $1.5 billion with major industry players as it furthered its commitment to investments to improving operational efficiency.
The Dubai-based airline expanded its network of service providers to grow its aviation aftermarket and maintenance, repair and overhaul services, teaming up with Honeywell, Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, Safran, Lufthansa Technik, OEM Services, Gameco, Haeco and others.
“We want to ensure our fleet is in tip-top shape,” Emirates president Tim Clark said.
Emirates' sister airline flydubai said it was planning to build a $190 million MRO complex in Dubai South, aimed at contributing to the growth and sustainability of the aviation industry.
The construction of the new hangar and workshop will begin in 2024 and is slated to be completed by the last quarter of 2026.
Ethiopian Airlines continued to ramp up its fleet after it placed an order for 11 Airbus A350-900s, which will cement its position as the largest operator of the aircraft in Africa.
The agreement, which will take the airline's total A350 order and commitment book to 33, is expected to improve Ethiopian's long-haul operations.
It also comes a day after the airline placed an order for about 67 Boeing aircraft as it aims to become one of the top 20 leading airlines globally by 2035.
Sikorsky, the aviation unit of US major Lockheed Martin, signed a partnership with the UAE's military maintenance company Ammroc to make the latter the first international authorised service centre for Lockheed Martin Black Hawk helicopters in the Emirates.
Sanad Group, the aerospace solutions provider owned by Abu Dhabi's Mubadala Investment Company, signed a partnership with France's Thales to bolster the maintenance and delivery of essential airport systems to ensure the safety and efficiency of major travel hubs in the Middle East and Africa.
The UAE's Edge Group also signed multiple deals, including a $300 million defence deal with the UAE Armed Forces and a collaboration with Italy's Leonardo.
Edge's units were also active. EPI, its engineering arm, announced that it will manufacture and supply fuel tanks for Airbus Defence and Space, while its helicopter training academy Horizon teamed up with Parker Lord for engineering collaborations.
Also, its autonomous services unit Adasi and Lahab Defence Systems won contracts worth Dh487 million and Dh4.1 billion, respectively, to supply munitions to the Ministry of Defence.
Saudi Arabia and Egypt enhanced their aviation co-operation and exchange of expertise with the signing of an agreement to use their airlines' training complexes.
As part of the partnership, EgyptAir will be able to use the Saudia Academy's Boeing 787 Dreamliner training simulator, while Saudia will be able to utilise certain aviation equipment at the EgyptAir Training Academy, specifically the Airbus A330.
UAE SQUAD
Khalid Essa, Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Adel Al Hosani, Bandar Al Ahbabi, Mohammad Barghash, Salem Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Hassan Al Mahrami, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Yousef Jaber, Majed Sorour, Majed Hassan, Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Abdullah Al Naqbi, Khalil Al Hammadi, Fabio De Lima, Khalfan Mubarak, Tahnoon Al Zaabi, Ali Saleh, Caio Canedo, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue, Zayed Al Ameri
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
RESULTS
Bantamweight: Victor Nunes (BRA) beat Azizbek Satibaldiev (KYG). Round 1 KO
Featherweight: Izzeddin Farhan (JOR) beat Ozodbek Azimov (UZB). Round 1 rear naked choke
Middleweight: Zaakir Badat (RSA) beat Ercin Sirin (TUR). Round 1 triangle choke
Featherweight: Ali Alqaisi (JOR) beat Furkatbek Yokubov (UZB). Round 1 TKO
Featherweight: Abu Muslim Alikhanov (RUS) beat Atabek Abdimitalipov (KYG). Unanimous decision
Catchweight 74kg: Mirafzal Akhtamov (UZB) beat Marcos Costa (BRA). Split decision
Welterweight: Andre Fialho (POR) beat Sang Hoon-yu (KOR). Round 1 TKO
Lightweight: John Mitchell (IRE) beat Arbi Emiev (RUS). Round 2 RSC (deep cuts)
Middleweight: Gianni Melillo (ITA) beat Mohammed Karaki (LEB)
Welterweight: Handesson Ferreira (BRA) beat Amiran Gogoladze (GEO). Unanimous decision
Flyweight (Female): Carolina Jimenez (VEN) beat Lucrezia Ria (ITA), Round 1 rear naked choke
Welterweight: Daniel Skibinski (POL) beat Acoidan Duque (ESP). Round 3 TKO
Lightweight: Martun Mezhlumyan (ARM) beat Attila Korkmaz (TUR). Unanimous decision
Bantamweight: Ray Borg (USA) beat Jesse Arnett (CAN). Unanimous decision
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
'The Ice Road'
Director: Jonathan Hensleigh
Stars: Liam Neeson, Amber Midthunder, Laurence Fishburne
2/5
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
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How to come clean about financial infidelity
- Be honest and transparent: It is always better to own up than be found out. Tell your partner everything they want to know. Show remorse. Inform them of the extent of the situation so they know what they are dealing with.
- Work on yourself: Be honest with yourself and your partner and figure out why you did it. Don’t be ashamed to ask for professional help.
- Give it time: Like any breach of trust, it requires time to rebuild. So be consistent, communicate often and be patient with your partner and yourself.
- Discuss your financial situation regularly: Ensure your spouse is involved in financial matters and decisions. Your ability to consistently follow through with what you say you are going to do when it comes to money can make all the difference in your partner’s willingness to trust you again.
- Work on a plan to resolve the problem together: If there is a lot of debt, for example, create a budget and financial plan together and ensure your partner is fully informed, involved and supported.
Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Pari
Produced by: Clean Slate Films (Anushka Sharma, Karnesh Sharma) & KriArj Entertainment
Director: Prosit Roy
Starring: Anushka Sharma, Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Ritabhari Chakraborty, Rajat Kapoor, Mansi Multani
Three stars
BeIN Sports currently has the rights to show
- Champions League
- English Premier League
- Spanish Primera Liga
- Italian, French and Scottish leagues
- Wimbledon and other tennis majors
- Formula One
- Rugby Union - Six Nations and European Cups
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
One in nine do not have enough to eat
Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.
One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.
The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.
Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.
It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.
On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.
Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 48V hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: Dh289,000
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers Henderson, Johnstone, Pickford, Ramsdale
Defenders Alexander-Arnold, Chilwell, Coady, Godfrey, James, Maguire, Mings, Shaw, Stones, Trippier, Walker, White
Midfielders Bellingham, Henderson, Lingard, Mount, Phillips, Rice, Ward-Prowse
Forwards Calvert-Lewin, Foden, Grealish, Greenwood, Kane, Rashford, Saka, Sancho, Sterling, Watkins
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 2 (Mahrez 04', Ake 84')
Leicester City 5 (Vardy 37' pen, 54', 58' pen, Maddison 77', Tielemans 88' pen)
Man of the match: Jamie Vardy (Leicester City)
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Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
