Every second November, the whole aviation industry moves to one apron in Dubai
The Dubai Airshow is a biennial air show held in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. It is the largest air show in the Middle East and the third largest in the world, after the Paris Air Show and Farnborough. It is organised in cooperation with the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Dubai Airports, Dubai World Central, and the UAE Armed Forces.
It began modestly. A small civil aviation trade show called Arab Air was held at the Dubai World Trade Centre in 1986, and the first Dubai Airshow proper followed in 1989 at Dubai Airport, with 200 exhibitors and twenty-five aircraft. It was moved from January to November in 1991, and November is where it has stayed. By 2013 it carried 1,046 exhibitors from sixty countries and 163 aircraft on display. The 2025 edition ran from 17 to 21 November.
Most coverage of the show concentrates on the widebody orders, because that is where the headlines are. For our clients the interesting part of the week sits elsewhere: the business jet manufacturers bring their current aircraft, the completion and interiors houses attend, and the management companies, brokers, and finance providers are all in the same place at the same time for five days.
That concentration is the point. Specifying, buying, refurbishing, or replacing an aircraft normally involves a long series of separate conversations in separate cities. During the show they can be held consecutively, on the same apron, with the aircraft in question standing behind the conversation. Nothing else in the calendar compresses that process in the same way, which is why people who are not remotely interested in air shows attend this one.
The static display is the working part of the show and the flying display is the part people remember. Over the years the programme has included the A380, the A400M, the F-16, the F/A-18, the F-22, the V-22, the B-1B, and the Eurofighter Typhoon, alongside aerobatic teams from around the world including the Patrouille de France, the Red Arrows, Al Fursan, and Surya Kiran.
The show has also been used for regional debuts. The A380 appeared in the Middle East for the first time at the 2005 edition, arriving in the livery of its largest customer. In recent years the display has combined new widebodies with updated business jets and advanced military aircraft from the participating nations. Since 2023 the exhibition has been organised by Informa, having been run by Tarsus Aerospace from 1989 to 2021.
Tell us what you need from the week and we will arrange the accreditation, the base, and the meetings
The Gulf business calendar clusters in the last quarter of the year, and clients frequently combine the show with Abu Dhabi Finance Week in December. Corporate hosting, delegation logistics, and client programmes across the week run through our Business Concierge team, which handles the majority of our work around this event.
November is the right month to be in the Emirates. The heat has broken, the evenings are comfortable outdoors, and the whole region’s business season is underway — which means the show shares its week with a great deal of activity that has nothing to do with aircraft.
That has a practical consequence worth planning for. Hotels, restaurants, and drivers are all under pressure during the show, and the difference between a productive week and an exhausting one is almost entirely logistical. Being based close to the site, with transport that does not depend on the main routes at the end of each day, changes the experience completely.
It is also worth deciding in advance how much of the show you actually need. Five days is a great deal of apron. Most people who come for business aviation find that two full days cover the static display and the meetings, leaving the rest of the week for the city and for the conversations that happen away from the stands.
In November, every second year. The 2025 edition ran from 17 to 21 November
No. It is biennial, which means half the calendar years have no show
It is the largest air show in the Middle East and the third largest in the world, after Paris and Farnborough
It is a trade exhibition, and access follows accreditation. We will tell you plainly what is and is not possible
The first Dubai Airshow was held in 1989, growing out of a small trade show called Arab Air in 1986
Six months for accommodation and accreditation. Meetings during the week should be fixed before you travel
Yes, the organisers confirm the week roughly a year out, though the detailed flying schedule follows later.
The next edition is expected in November 2027, following the usual biennial cycle.
Cooler, drier weather in November makes outdoor static displays and flying routines far more practical than during the Gulf summer.
Yes, business jets and MRO providers occupy a dedicated static park alongside the main commercial and defence halls.
Past editions have drawn more than 1,400 exhibitors from over 140 countries across the static and indoor halls.
