Jordan will step up its international promotion of its aviation capabilities with planned participation in the Middle East Aviation Pavilion…
Jordan will step up its international promotion of its aviation capabilities with planned participation in the Middle East Aviation Pavilion at Le Bourget, Paris next year and a full scale country pavilion at Dubai 2005 – the ninth international aerospace exhibition – being held in November next year.
Hopes for the international promotion were spelt out by HRH Prince Feisal Ibn Al Hussein, Chief of Staff of the Royal Jordanian Air Force during a visit to the first Middle East Aviation Pavilion at Farnborough International air show in the UK.
The pavilion, an initiative of Fairs & Exhibitions (F&E), organisers of the Dubai air show, was the first Middle East industry promotion at any international aerospace exhibition. F&E now says the pavilion will triple in size for the Le Bourget air show in Paris next June and HRH Prince Feisal said Jordanian participation is on the cards.
I hope there will be a strong Jordanian presence in Paris. At this point in time we are unique in the region because we have two private sector companies producing aircraft currently in business – one a joint venture, which makes light aircraft for export, which is a first in the Middle East. We also have a number of companies involved in training and the supply of aviation services in Jordan. Ours is a growing aviation sector,” he said.
“It is essential that our aviation sector is progressed efficiently in the Middle East and that our achievements and capabilities are recognised internationally. In the past, progress was restricted to state-run enterprises not the private sector, but that has changed.”
HRH Prince Feisal also said a Jordanian country pavilion is very much on the cards for Dubai 2005, the ninth international aerospace exhibition, which will be held at the expanded Airport Expo Dubai in the United Arab Emirates from November 20-24 next year.
“Seabird Jordan and Jordan Aerospace Industries were present with their light aircraft at the last Dubai air show but the Jordanian presence was scattered. The future though is strong and we will now work on developing a worthwhile pavilion,” he said.
HRH added that though the Middle East has a developing aviation sector it needed to look for specialised markets.
“The aviation industry in the Middle East is strong in capabilities, support maintenance, airport development and duty free management with cutting edge processes. In terms of development, we have to find niche markets to build our capabilities. We have to ensure the industry is efficient and to build the bottom line.”
Prince Feisal also said he hoped for greater regional co-operation on the homeland security front.
“We would like to see something like the system in the EU in terms of handling travel visas and easing access to our countries. In order to be efficient, we need better co-ordination and exchange of information to build full confidence that will allow us to open up to the systems needed to build intra-Arab travel.
In my role in the Middle East border control, I have noticed we have to become more holistic in our approach to homeland security. We are talking to international suppliers, in some cases companies have offered solutions or made specific recommendations. At our end we have to have proper exchange of information and co-ordination of various security elements at both national and regional levels.”
The first Middle East Aviation pavilion at Farnborough housed seven exhibitors from Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabian participant Arabian Fuels Technology Center and Dubai’s Department of Civil Aviation have already committed to space in the Le Bourget pavilion and participation in Dubai 2005. F&E say other companies from throughout the region have shown interest following the inaugural pavilion`s success.
“The interest is now mounting once companies in the region have realised what can be done and how they can put on a united and more impactful front to the international aerospace world,” said Alison Weller, Project Manager, F&E.
“We are confident the Le Bourget pavilion will be virtually booked by the end of this year.”
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