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Speaking on the eve of the Dubai Airshow Nov
12, Jeffrey Johnson, president of Boeing Middle
East said: “Our legacy in the Middle East
goes back more than 65 years, and throughout that
time we have earned the trust of our partners
and customers here through meaningful collaboration,
contributions to the community, and providing
the right services at the right time.
“We remain committed to further strengthening
our presence and partnerships with governments,
enterprises and customers to develop and grow
regional aerospace infrastructure and capabilities.”
The world’s most advanced passenger jet,
the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, and the Bell Boeing
V-22 Osprey, a tiltrotor military transport aircraft,
will make their Middle East air show debuts amid
a range of exciting products and services Boeing
is showcasing at the week-long air show.
Boeing works with a wide range of customers
and partners in the Middle East, including the
region’s leading airlines, national defense
forces, communications enterprises and academic
institutions. It maintains offices in Abu Dhabi,
Dubai, Doha and Riyadh and has a pool of highly
qualified and dedicated personnel based in the
region to support its customers.
Saudi Arabia is a significant market for Boeing,
which counts Saudi Arabian Airlines and the Royal
Saudi Air Force as longstanding customers. Boeing
also holds the majority stake in Alsalam Aircraft
Company, which performs heavy maintenance and
modification on civil and military aircraft at
its facilities in Riyadh.
“The value Boeing places on local partnerships
is reflected in the number of successful ventures
we have established over the years in Saudi Arabia
and other parts of the region,” said Ahmed
Jazzar, president, Boeing Saudi Arabia. “Our
relationship priorities with the Kingdom are in
line with the King’s vision for future and
ongoing development for Saudi Arabia.”
Boeing Defense Space & Security (BDS), is
seeking to expand its regional footprint. Existing
customers who already operate a wide range of
Boeing systems are looking to further upgrade
and expand their fighter, rotorcraft, airlift
and battle-management capabilities.
“We have seen a tremendous amount of interest
in our defense solutions from governments across
the Middle East as plans for upgrading defense
capabilities move forward,” said Paul Oliver,
BDS Middle East and Africa regional vice president,
International Business Development. “We are
constantly exploring opportunities to increase
our customer base in the Middle East.”
Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA) counts the
region’s leading airlines as some of its
key customers. Significantly, the Boeing 777 is
the airplane of choice for these airlines’
long-haul fleets, including Qatar Airways, Etihad
Airways and Emirates Airline, which holds the
unique distinction of being the only airline in
the world to operate every variant of the 777
airplane. Boeing also holds a backlog of 131 Dreamliners
on order from Gulf Air, Saudi Arabian Airlines,
Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways and Royal Jordanian.
“The 787 Dreamliner represents the future
of commercial aviation with its unparalleled passenger
experience and operating economics and we are
looking forward to showcasing it at the Dubai
Airshow,” said Martin Bentrott, BCA vice
president for Sales for the Middle East, Central
Asia and Russia. “Our products have served
as the backbone of the region’s aviation
industry from the Boeing 707 in the 1960s to the
Boeing 777 today. We are confident our newest
products, such as the 787, the 747-8 and 737MAX,
will continue to help us build on our successes
in the region.”
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