MRO Middle East And AIME 2026 Highlight Rising Aviation Aftermarket In Dubai

MRO Middle East and Aircraft Interiors Middle East (AIME) 2026 opened at Dubai World Trade Centre, drawing the global aviation aftermarket to the UAE. H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum inaugurated the co-located shows, which underline Dubai’s status as a centre for aircraft maintenance services, cabin interiors and aviation technology across the wider Middle East.

The 17th edition extends into an extra exhibition hall for the first time, with more than 300 exhibitors and around 9,000 attendees. Companies display cabin interior concepts, AI-based diagnostic systems, robotics, ground support equipment, safety tools and supply chain solutions, mirroring the strong rise in maintenance and overhaul activity across regional and international fleets.

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Across the Middle East, airline fleets keep expanding and flight schedules are becoming denser, raising demand for maintenance, repair and overhaul capacity. MRO Middle East and AIME 2026 respond to this trend by bringing together engineers, suppliers, airlines and regulators, providing technical dialogue, networking opportunities and cross-sector cooperation that supports both local operators and global partners using the region as a hub.

Key figures for MRO Middle East and AIME 2026 highlight the scale of this role for the UAE and neighbouring markets.

During a panel titled ‘Strategic infrastructure developments: Middle East MRO landscape,’ Fraser Currie, Chief Strategy and Commercial Officer of DAE Engineering, described how infrastructure projects are reshaping the sector. Currie said, "The boom that Dubai and the region is having is incredible. People are making a choice to come here, with the old and well tested UAE mantra of ‘build it and they will come’. Aerospace is expanding, Airbus is building facilities at DWC, flydubai is building its own facility, and by 2030 Emirates will be moving its hangars to DWC. This region is a friendly, supportive environment where people want to work, and that is why we are seeing this boom, along with access to some of the largest expanding markets in the world."

Infrastructure announcements at MRO Middle East 2026 emphasise the shift toward more local heavy maintenance capability. Andi Fahrurrozi, President and CEO of GMF AeroAsia, announced a new facility serving the Middle East. Fahrurrozi said, "Being here at the MRO Middle East 2026, we are proud to officially announce the expansion of GMF AeroAsia’s global footprint with the launch of our new Middle East facility. This is not just a new location, but it’s a direct response to the incredible growth of fleet support in this region. By bringing Heavy and Line Maintenance closer to our partners, we are providing faster turnaround times and strengthening the regional aviation ecosystem at the same time."

Low-cost carrier strategies also feature strongly at MRO Middle East and AIME 2026. In a fireside interview, Steven Greenway, Chief Executive Officer of flyadeal, outlined how Saudi Arabia is developing in-house maintenance skills and capacity for the airline and the wider kingdom, while using supplier contracts to build local industrial participation within aviation services and parts manufacturing.

Greenway said, "Every LCC today is looking at what capability they can bring in house, and flyadeal is no different. Saudi Arabia has invested billions of dollars in a major maintenance facility in Jeddah, and the landscape will change dramatically over the next couple of years. We already perform our own engine changes, which low-cost carriers would not have done ten or 15 years ago. All our major supplier contracts include local content, whether that is maintenance in the kingdom or the manufacture of spare parts, and while the scale is not there yet, it will grow over the next few years."

With strong exhibitor participation, major infrastructure plans at Dubai World Central and Jeddah, and growing interest from global suppliers, MRO Middle East and AIME 2026 demonstrate how the region’s aviation sector is scaling support services alongside fleet growth, reinforcing Dubai and the wider Middle East as an important hub for maintenance, interior upgrades and technical innovation.

With inputs from WAM