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THE inaugural Bahrain International Airshow looks likely to bring up to $13 million into the local economy.
The event will take place at Sakhir Airbase from January 21 to 23 next year and is being organised by the kingdom's Civil Aviation Affairs (CAA) in partnership with Farnborough International Limited (FIL), the company responsible for one of the aviation world's biggest and best known events, the UK's Farnborough Airshow.
This week Sarah Jones, FIL's Bahrain based logistics manager, and Graham Mackie, CAA civil aviation advisor, attended a meeting of the Barhain British Business Forum to speak about the event.
Members heard that 22 of the 40 chalets, available at the site, are already sold out and big names so far on board include Boeing, Rolls Royce, Tag Aeronautics, BAE Systems, Sikorsky, Gulfstream, Gulf Air and many others and the show is expected to attract around 8,000 trade and public visitors each day.
Bahrain was chosen as the site for the Middle East's newest airshow as it is thought to be the ideal strategic location for a new business-to-business aviation event and is one of the few countries showing real economic robustness in the face of the current global recession.
Bahrain International Airport, which is undergoing a major expansion programme, is also a leading regional hub presenting an ideal platform for companies looking to develop regional operational bases.
And the airshow will help to continue to develop and reinforce the country's global profile and status as a 'business friendly' and dynamic economy.
Bahrain International Airshow will differ from others in the region in that there will be no exhibition halls. It will be offered to only a maximum of 50 participating companies from the civil, defence and business sectors of the aerospace industry.
Each will have the opportunity to meet with invited delegations, high level buyers and suppliers from the region as well as receiving private introductions in the VIP pavilion.
Exhibitors will also be able to offer prospective clients demonstration flights on their aircraft each morning of the show and there will be an exciting flying display each day.
The hope is that Bahrain will become the airshow that people must attend in future in order to do effective business.
And it has been revealed for the first time that there will be a separate public area, away from the main corporate chalet area, where it is intended to provide family entertainment as well as food and beverage outlets adjacent to the runway and a large grandstand from which members of the public can watch the daily flying display.
