Dubai air show organiser F&E Aerospace has invited the heads of state of the six Gulf Co-operation Council states and their delegations to attend the Middle East Business Aviation show (MEBA), taking place at Dubai's Airport Expo from 7-9 December 2010.

The dignitaries are leading delegations to the GCC Summit in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi, from 6-7 December.

Alison Weller, managing director of F&E Aerospace, says: "The UAE's hosting of the GCC Summit at the beginning of December presented us with the opportunity of extending invitations to the Gulf's heads of state to attend MEBA, which is taking place just as the summit is concluded."

Organised on behalf of the Middle East Business Aviation Association (MEBAA), the previous MEBA show in 2008 attracted 250 exhibitors from 30 countries and over 5,500 visitors, netting more than $1.5 billion worth of deals.

With fewer than five months to go, MEBA 2010 is much farther ahead on bookings than at the same time before the 2008 show, and is now taking bookings and reservations on a first-come, first-served basis.

F&E is offering a bottle of champagne to exhibitors who book space at MEBA or the Dubai air show in 2011, with the first exhibitor signing up for both receiving a magnum.

Exhibitors are coming from as far afield as Brazil, Europe, Hong Kong and the USA, joining the region's top aviation companies, including Dubai World Central-Aviation City, Abu Dhabi Airports, Saudi Arabia's MAZ Aviation, Lebanon's Executive Airport Services and Jordan's Arab Wings.

In a first for the region, MEBA will host the 2010 meeting in Dubai of the governing body of the International Business Aviation Council, which is traditionally held in Europe or the USA.

Source: Flight Daily News