traffic last year, serving 70 million passengers, according to Airports Council International. The council also noted that the airport surpassed London Heathrow as the busiest hub for international passenger traffic. Meanwhile, traffic at Dubai’s second major airport is growing as well, and Abu Dhabi International Airport reported a record 2.1 million passengers used that airport in July— 23 percent more than a year ago. “The UAE, like the entire Gulf region, is situated in a central spot for growth and the gateway to Asia,” Allen said, “and we see this as a huge partnership for the long term.” Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the surrounding area have long been centers of trade and finance, and the UAE is the single-largest export market for U.S. goods and services in the Arab world, according to the United Arab Emirates Trade & Commercial Office in Washington, D.C. In return, UAE financiers have invested in the U.S. and elsewhere for three decades. Boeing Capital Corporation, the company’s investment bank, has taken notice, working closely with Middle East financiers to double the region’s support for Boeing aircraft deliveries in just the past few years, Allen said. Since 2006, Boeing Capital also has hosted annual airline planning seminars for financiers in the UAE and neighboring countries, and its regional financiers and investors’ conference has become an annual event. Additionally, Boeing’s finance subsidiary is exploring 34 BOEING FRONTIERS opportunities for Islamic financing in the aviation sector, said Tim Myers, president of Boeing Capital. Boeing also plays a significant role in preserving the UAE’s security. The nation’s military forces operate Apache and Chinook helicopters, as well as a small fleet of C-17 Globemaster III heavy-lift aircraft. Dubai-based Thuraya Satellite Telecommunications uses three Boeing-built satellites to support its mobile voice and data services. International sales now represent roughly 30 percent of Boeing Defense, Space & Security’s business, with a sizable portion of that coming from the Middle East, said Paul Oliver, Middle East and Africa regional vice president, International Business Development. “We see continued opportunities for growth, and we continue to work closely with the United Arab Emirates and other government and defense forces in the region, who play a key role in enhancing security in the region,” Oliver said. In addition, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is collaborating with companies within the UAE to provide a number of services. For example, Abu Dhabi– based Advanced Military Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul Centre and BDS have teamed since 2011 to ensure the operational readiness of UAE military aircraft. Boeing subsidiary Insitu and Abu Dhabi Autonomous Systems Investments have worked together to provide support for unmanned aircraft systems sold in the region. Partnerships between Boeing and
Frontiers November 2015 Issue
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