Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, has told the world that "Dubai is back".
Sheikh Mohammed spoke at the Dubai Airshow, which is expected to welcome more than 85,000 visitors this year.
"Today, I witnessed some of the activities of the Dubai Airshow. 148 countries, 1,200 companies and 85,000 visitors expected this year," Sheikh Mohammed said.
"Dubai is back again ... and the global aviation sector is returning again through Dubai and the UAE. The world gathers with us in the UAE to talk about its economy, future and culture. Welcome everybody."
More than 20 countries are being represented at the airshow for the first time, including Israel, Belgium and Brazil.
It is the first major global aerospace exhibition to be held since the aviation industry was hit by the Covid-19 pandemic and is a bellwether of the sector's recovery from the crisis.
The airshow, a biennial event where commercial and military deals worth billions of dollars are agreed to, takes place after the pandemic forced organisers to cancel the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget in 2021 and Britain’s Farnborough International Airshow in 2020.
