150 exhibitors from 30 countries at the “Airport Show” in May 2026

The activities of the 25th edition of the “Airport Show” will be launched at the Dubai World Trade Center, during the period from May 12 to 14 of next year, with the participation of more than 150 exhibitors from more than 30 countries, in addition to more than 7,000 visitors from 30 countries over the course of three days, in addition to 120 hosted buyers.

A statement yesterday stated that the event will be held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, President of Dubai Airports, Supreme President and CEO of Emirates Airline and the Group, at a time when several airports will showcase their new projects and purchase the required technological products.

As part of the exhibition’s activities, accompanying conferences will be held: the Global Airport Leaders Forum, Middle East Airport Security, the Air Traffic Control Forum, and the “Women in Aviation” Middle East Conference.

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum said: “We share an ambition to build smarter, safer and more sustainable airports, and improve the quality of service and facilities for both airlines and passengers. At Airport Show 2026, we come together to explore solutions, unify visions, and shape the features of future airports.”

For her part, the director of the exhibition organized by RX International Company, Mai Ismail, said: “Airports in this region play a major role, with the number of global passengers expected to reach 17.7 billion passengers by 2043,” pointing out that this densely populated region is preparing to play a major role in the advanced air travel scene, by pumping huge investments in developing and expanding its airport infrastructure, and improving the traveler experience.

According to the statement, airport construction projects in the Middle East and North Africa region are entering advanced stages, as 78.7% of the total value of the projects falls within the “pre-implementation” and “implementation” stages, while Saudi Arabia has the largest share of the value of the projects with 42.5%, followed by the UAE with 26.8%, then Bahrain with 7.6%.

Airports are focusing on sustainability through innovation in renewable energy, electric and autonomous vehicles, energy-efficient building design, waste reduction, and digital tools that improve operations.

International Air Transport Association (IATA) forecasts indicate that passenger traffic in the Middle East will reach 530 million by 2043.

In July 2025, the British analytics company Global Data said that the airports of the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries are implementing 48 renovation, expansion and new construction projects, with a total value of $182.6 billion, while the Dubai and Jeddah mega projects account for nearly 80% of spending on airport development in the Middle East and North Africa region.

In turn, Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai is witnessing a huge expansion to become the largest airport in the world. The airport includes five parallel runways and 400 gates, with a target of being able to handle 260 million passengers annually, while the expected cost of the airport is 128 billion dirhams ($34.8 billion).

The expansion of the passenger terminal at Sharjah International Airport is expected to be completed by 2026, while Ras Al Khaimah International Airport is undergoing an ambitious expansion that will be fully completed by 2028.