The commercial aviation sector is a global gateway for the U.A.E. and allows us to reach far beyond our borders…in terms of partners and allies to help reach our goals, there is no greater friend than the United States. – H.E. Fahad Al Gergawi, Undersecretary of the U.A.E. Ministry of Foreign Trade

The U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council and Kallman Worldwide kicked off the Dubai Airshow 2025 with theU.S.-U.A.E. Partnership Reception on Sunday, November 16 at the Terrace between the Towers, Jumeirah Emirates Towers. 

And, today Emirates Airline announced the purchase of 65 Boeing wide body 777x’s for $38B, including engines by GE Aerospace.

Members and U.S. companies heard from high-level U.A.E. and U.S. government officials and leading U.S. industry representatives on the future of aviation and how the U.A.E. sees the U.S. as a critical partner in realizing their ambitious goals to modernize and reimagine the future of flight.

Key takeaways include:

• Kallman Worldwide President & CEO Tom Kallman was honored for his 30-year record of outstanding achievements bringing over 6,000 U.S. companies to exhibit in the U.A.E., and for his generous sponsorship of educational & training initiatives that empower the U.A.E.’s leaders of tomorrow.
   
• Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Mission to the U.A.E.Eric Gaudiosi lauded the “restless intellectual” spirit of the U.A.E. and its attractiveness for U.S. industry to pioneer the technologies of the future. 
   
• Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Trade H.E. Fahad Al Gergawi outlined how commercial aviation and aerospace is a key driver in the U.S.-U.A.E. trade relationship, noting important partnerships between U.S. industry leaders like Boeing with the Emirates.
   
• H.E. Fahad Al Gergawi also spoke about the U.A.E.’s ambitious airport expansion plans, particularly the upcoming Al Maktoum International Airport, which expand Dubai Airports’ capacity from 92 million to 260 million passengers per year and from 3.4 million to 12 million tonnes of freight, increasing the U.A.E.’s centrality as a global transport hub.
   
• Joby Aviation Founder & CEO JoeBen Bevirt spoke about Joby Aviation’s journey in the U.A.E. since 2017 and their test flight in peak heat last summer. He noted how quiet the aircraft is, which will be a game-changer for building vertiports in urban areas. 
   
• Chief Commercial Officer of Archer Aviation Nikhil Goel described how Archer Aviation began their partnership with the U.A.E. ten years ago and underscored the importance of American innovation coupled with the spirit of the U.A.E. in bringing cutting-edge technology to reality. “There is no place on earth that will do as much as the U.A.E. to realize the adoption of this technology.”

Throughout the evening, guests heard from:

• Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Trade H.E. Fahad Al Gergawi 
   
• Joby Aviation Founder & CEO JoeBen Bevirt 
   
• Chief Commercial Officer of Archer AviationNikhil Goel
   
• Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Mission to the U.A.E.Eric Gaudiosi
   
• Kallman Worldwide President & CEOTom Kallman 
   
• U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council PresidentDanny Sebright
   
• The U.S. AFCENT Band provided entertainment for the evening, andEmirates Airline, United Airlines, and Etihad Airways generously provided raffled airlines tickets.

For more information about the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council’s programming in commercial aviation and aerospace, please contact Faria Nasruddin at fnasruddin@usuaebusiness.org.