The Boeing Company, a world key player in aircraft manufacturing, has underscored the Middle East's current and future growth potential for both the commercial aviation and defence sectors, revealing it intends to continue building its presence in the Middle East with a focus on partnerships with regional entities. Jeffrey Johnson, president of Boeing Middle East, said at Dubai air show that the company's legacy in the Middle East went back more than 65 years, and throughout that time it had "earned the trust of our partners and customers in the Middle East 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," stated Johnson. The company's most advanced passenger jet, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, and the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey, a tiltrotor military transport aircraft, have made their Middle East air show debuts amid a range of exciting products and services Boeing had showcased at the air show which is set to close today. Qatar Airways has announced an order for two Boeing 777 Freighters at the 2011 Dubai Air Show. Valued at $560 million at current list prices, the airplanes will increase the airline's 777 Freighter fleet to eight when delivered. Boeing also announced an order by Oman Air for six Boeing 787-8s at the event. But Boeing has taken off in Dubai with a historic order from Emirates Airline which confirmed an order of 50 Boeing 777-300ERs (Extended Range) plus options for an additional 20 of the popular twin-aisle commercial jetliner. 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 of 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 defence solutions from governments across the Middle East as plans for upgrading defence 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 "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."
