ACU Dec-18 Final LR

AVIATION
Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai
was quoted in the media as saying.
Diversified aviation
Echoing Sheikh Mohammed's
statement, Mohammad Al Falasi,
Dubai South Aviation District
Business Development Director, says
the vision has always been to
establish Dubai as the global aviation
capital.
“We are not building the largest
airports in the world. We are building
the aviation capital of the world,”
Sheikh Mohammed previously
stated highlighting Dubai's capacity
to reinvent aviation with new
products, technologies and services.
Dubai South is the
emirate's answer to this
vision. With total
investment of US$70
billion, this multi-phased
urban development
covering 145 square
kilometers is the site for
the Al Maktoum
International Airport which
is designed to handle up to
220 million passengers and
16 million tons of cargo
every year once fully
completed.
It will also house a Dh25 billion
(about USD7 billion) residential zone,
a free zone business park, logistics
and cargo district and the exhibition
site being built to host Expo 2020
Dubai. In all, Dubai South is
envisioned to create 500,000 jobs.
“We have the mandate from His
Highness Sheikh Mohammed to turn
Dubai South into the aviation capital
of the world by building soft and hard
i n f r a s t r u c t u r e a b o v e a n d
underground. To ensure ease of
doing business and the smart way to
do business by offering consolidated
solutions in one location. This
mandate is very important because
28 percent of our GDP comes from
aviation,” explained Al Falasi.
By 2025, Dubai South is forecast to
generate over 35 percent of Dubai's
GDP.
Dubai South Aviation District is
d i v i d e d i n t o f o u r b u s i n e s s
verticals—General Aviation which is
home to the VIP Terminal, hangars,
fuel farm, catering, ground handling,
helicopter operations; Maintenance
and Technical Suppor t which
includes a paint shop, the MROs and
t h e a e r o s p a c e s u p p l y c h a i n ;
Commercial, which has retail & hotel
and the exhibition area; and an
Education and Training vertical that
hosts the Emirates Flight Training
Academy, simulators and different
universities and vocational training
institutes.
Dubai South Aviation District
added last year the Suppliers
Complex which caters to small and
medium enterprises in the aviation
and aerospace industries, specifically
the MRO sector. With a budget of
US$55 million for 2018, the Complex
and two aerospace supply chain
buildings were built, designed to
allow for easy and quick start-up for
related companies.
Globally, the value of MRO &
Te c h n i c a l S u p p o r t i n d u s t r y
generated as much as US$75.6 billion
in 2017 and by 2022, growing at 2.4%
CAGR, it would reach US$84.9 billion.
In the Middle East, the industry is
also projected to grow bigger with
spending for MRO by major airlines
reaching US$10.2 billion in 2027 from
only US$5.6 billion in 2017.
Major MRO companies such as
Lufthansa Technik, GE Aviation and
Advanced Aerospace Industries have
successfully positioned themselves
at Dubai South Aviation District for
the region's growing MRO industry.
In terms of education and training,
three major companies have already
established their presence at Dubai
South—the Emirates Flight Training
Academy, the University of South
Wales and Dynamic Advanced
Training.
“Two more global universities are
coming. Construction for their
facilities will start in 2019,” shared Al
Falasi. “There is a great shortage for
aviation professionals in this region.
The Aviation District is also home
to at least five FBOs catering to VIP
passengers.
ENOC Group, which supplies jet
fuel to DXB through two jet fuel