Just returned from a five-day trip to Gulf to carry out interviews for our Middle East Careers Guide (see last year's at www.flightglobal.com/mideastcareers), including Qatar Airways' Akbar Al Baker (see previous blogs and tweets), Air Arabia's Adel Ali, flydubai's Ghaith Al Ghaith and Mubadala's Homaid Al Shemari. Our latest guide will be published with Flight International on 17 April and an online version will be available to view on flightglobal.com.
While in the Gulf, I also attended the first Abu Dhabi Air Expo, a new business and general aviation show held at the city's Al Bateen business airport. The show was touted as an opportunity for the airport to showcase its wares - all its major tenants including Falcon Aviation Services, Al Jaber Aviation and Rotana Jet were exhibiting - and for flight schools and training organisations to get the love-of-flying message across to young Emiratis. But the event was also a cheeky attempt to have a nibble at the biennial Middle East Business Aviation show, to be held at the new Dubai World Central airport in December. MEBA - which is organised by the Middle East Business Aviation Association - has the monopoly on the Gulf's booming business aviation sector.
You can see our video coverage, with interviews with some of the big players attending the show, at www.flightglobal.com/abudhabi
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