United arab emirates Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in united arab emirates, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Aerospace and Aviation
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Overview

There are many opportunities for U.S. exporters in the aerospace and aviation sectors in the UAE, and the UAE is investing billions of dollars in major projects in these sectors. In 2023, the civil aviation sector supported about 800,000 jobs and contributed $47.4 billion to the UAE economy, which accounted for about 13.3% of the UAE’s GDP.  

UAE Government Initiatives

UAE government initiatives and investment in the aerospace industry in support of economic diversification have driven robust demand and growth. These initiatives include the offset program, local manufacturing initiatives and incentives, industrial clusters, education and training, etc.    

Airlines and Airports

In recent years, the four major UAE carriers expanded their operations and investments, including Dubai-based Emirates Airlines (full-service carrier since 1985), Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways (full-service carrier since 2004), flydubai (low-cost carrier since 2009), and Sharjah-based Air Arabia (low-cost carrier since 2003). Abu Dhabi also formed partnerships to create budget airlines like Air Arabia Abu Dhabi. However, low-cost carrier Wizz Air announced that its Abu Dhabi-based affiliate would suspend all operations effective September 1, 2025, due to geopolitical instability, engine performance, and market-access barriers.

The UAE has seven international airports including Dubai International Airport (DXB), the world’s second busiest international airport, and Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport (AUH), which combined serve over 120 million passengers annually. Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport (also known as Dubai World Central, DWC) is slated to replace DXB by the mid 2030’s but currently handles mostly cargo.  

Abu Dhabi Airport Terminal A, also known as the Midfield Terminal, officially opened in November 2023. Terminal A is 780,000 square meters (around 8.4 million square feet), can handle 11,000 passengers per hour and 79 aircraft simultaneously, and can serve up to 45 million passengers per year.

The UAE is investing heavily in airport development and expansion projects such as the $35 billion Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) in Dubai and the $327 million terminal expansion project at the Sharjah International Airport. As of 2024, Emirates Airlines operates a fleet of 260 aircraft, mostly Airbus A380 and Boeing 777. Etihad Airways has 100 operating aircraft encompassing a mix of wide and narrow body aircraft including Boeing 787, Boeing 777, Airbus A320, Airbus 350, and Boeing 777 freighters. Air Arabia Airline operates 70 aircraft of Airbus 320 and Airbus 321 models. Flydubai operates 88 Boeing 737 and 737 MAX aircraft. Air Arabia Abu Dhabi operates 8 aircraft.

Local Manufacturing

  • The UAE aims to establish itself as a hub for aerospace manufacturing, maintenance, repair, and overhaul. In Abu Dhabi, the two largest players in the aviation and defense sectors are the EDGE Group and Mubadala Investment Company. Over the past few years, EDGE and Mubadala have formed partnerships with international companies such as Boeing, Airbus, Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems, Northrop Grumman, Rolls-Royce, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and Piaggio Aerospace, among others.
     
  • Mubadala Aerospace, owned by Mubadala Investment Company PJSC, oversees the development of maintenance facilities for civilian and commercial aircraft, flight training, parts manufacturing, and research and development work. Mubadala and Boeing have signed four agreements in recent years for the supply of advanced composites.
     
  • Strata Manufacturing PJSC (Strata) is owned by Mubadala Investment Company and is in Nibras Al Ain Aerospace Park. Strata was formed to forge partnerships with aircraft original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and incorporate leading-edge technology and best practice manufacturing. It has formed partnerships with major aircraft manufacturers such as Boeing and EADS/Airbus. Strata is now a Tier 1 supplier to Boeing on major components used in empennage ribs for the Boeing 777, vertical fin ribs for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, and composite empennage ribs for Boeing’s 777X aircraft.
     
  • Sanad Aerotech, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mubadala Investment Company, provides engine maintenance, repair, and overhaul services for aircraft such as the Boeing 747 and 787, Airbus A300, A320, A330, and other aircraft through technical support and partnership with OEMs including GE, Rolls Royce, Siemens, and IAE.
     
  • GAL/AMMROC (GAL) is an Abu Dhabi Aviation Company. The company offers a range of aviation maintenance services for rotary-wing aircraft for integrated lifecycle solutions. Services include routine inspections, repairs, and aircraft system overhauling.
     
  • GAL Air Navigation Services (GANS) is certified by the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), the UAE’s national regulatory authority, as the only private Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP) in the country. The company has an ICAO and GCAA-certified training facility where it provides extensive air traffic management training to local and international customers. The GCAA manages the Sheikh Zayed Air Navigation Center (SZC), which is the federal ANSP that is responsible for providing air navigation for all the UAE’s high altitude and high-seas airspace.  
     
  • Emirates Engine Maintenance Center (EMEC) in Dubai is the leading service provider for aircraft engine maintenance, repair, and overhaul. The company has been working closely with Engine Alliance (EA), GE Aerospace, and Rolls-Royce to develop technology for engine maintenance.
     
  • Dubai National Air Travel Agency (DNATA) is the ground handling and cargo services arm of the Emirates Group and has partnered with Global Jet Technic to provide line maintenance services at Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central (DWC) airports.
     
  • GE Aerospace has operated its support center with Emirates Engineering since 2013. The company opened its own support center in Dubai South to provide maintenance and repair solutions for all GE and CFM engines on the Emirates fleet and other UAE carriers such as Flydubai, Etihad Airways, and Air Arabia.
     
  • Engine Maintenance Centre | Emirates Engineering partnered with Engine Alliance (EA), a GE/P&W group, for repair and service of the GE90-115B and GP7200 engines on aircraft operated by Emirates. Engine Technical Services (ETS) provides technical support for the broad range of engines and auxiliary power such as Rolls-Royce, GE, CFM, and Honeywell. 

Nibras Al Ain Aerospace Park, created jointly by Mubadala Aerospace and Abu Dhabi Airport Company (ADAC), is a mix of public and private investment projects and is a dedicated aerospace and aviation cluster. This aerospace park spans 25 square kilometers and consists of projects, businesses, offices, and mixed-use residential zones, the majority of which are allocated specifically to the aerospace industry.

Other local companies include:

  • Dubai Aerospace Enterprise
  • ExecuJet

 Major Airports in the UAE:

  • Abu Dhabi Airports
  • Dubai Airports
  • Sharjah International Airport


Leading Sub-Sectors

  • Ground Services – ground handling, catering, and fixed based operations (FBO): Local airport authorities have partnered with companies to bring in the latest technological innovations for passenger attraction and satisfaction including duty free services, hospitality, ground handling, catering, and fixed based operations (FBO). New catering and FBO facilities will need to be developed to further expand ground handling and catering.
     
  • Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO): With 46 GCAA-registered MRO companies in the UAE, the country possesses excellent capability in aircraft MRO despite the challenging sandy, hot, and dry conditions. Eleven companies are working in Dubai in aircraft maintenance and repair and two in simulation manufacturing.
     
  • Infrastructure Development and Aircraft Hangar Services: UAE airports are planning investments in infrastructure to accommodate increased fleets and airport expansion to grow capacity, anticipating increased demand for airport hangar services as well as airport infrastructure development services.
     
  • Training and Development: There is a high demand for training to keep up with the growing labor shortage for pilots, crew, technical, mechanical, and operational staff. There is a need for both academic and practical training centers and flight simulators. Based on current orders, it is estimated that the UAE would require around 22,000 pilots and crew members by 2033. 
     
  • 3-D Printing and Additive Manufacturing: The UAE 3D printing market size has grown, and this is an area of opportunity given the UAE’s commitment to expanding local manufacturing.
     
  • Drones and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs): Dubai’s ‘Sky Dome’ initiative, introduced in 2020, aims to develop an integrated system for drone transport services, airfreight, and logistics services by positioning Dubai as a center for the manufacturing of drones and smart transportation.


Advanced Air Mobility

Abu Dhabi and Dubai have announced separate plans for Electric Vertical Take-off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft to operate as air taxis, with operations potentially beginning as soon as 2026.  Archer Aviation will have operations in Abu Dhabi while Joby Aviation will have operations in Dubai. The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has approved a new regulatory framework enabling dual-use helipads and electric vertiports, allowing both conventional helicopters and eVTOLs to operate using the same infrastructure.  

A strategic public–private consortium—led by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, Abu Dhabi Airports, Falcon Aviation, Etihad Aviation Training, Global Aerospace Logistics, and other agencies—solidified plans to build both vertiports and a local manufacturing and service ecosystem for eVTOLs in the region. A network of vertiports has been announced in Abu Dhabi, including locations at Zayed International Airport and the Mina Zayed Cruise Terminal, as well as other high traffic areas around the city.

Dubai has launched a project to build a $40 million Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) integrator center as part of Mohammed bin Rashid Aerospace Hub. The center, which will be home for the whole advanced air mobility ecosystem, is designing the vision of a network of vertiports.

The Dubai RTA has launched an Air Taxi project for Dubai and is in the process of selecting an autonomous Electric Vertical Take-off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft and has approved the design for Skyports as the first urban vertiport network linking four key areas of the city: Dubai International Airport (DXB), Downtown Dubai (Burj Khalifa area), Palm Jumeirah and Dubai Marina. As of February 2024, RTA signed a binding agreement with Joby Aviation and Skyports Infrastructure, granting Skyports exclusive rights to build and operate vertiports, while Joby will operate the eVTOL service under RTA oversight. Construction began in November 2024 on the first vertiport and expected to be completed by end of 2025 and ready for operational testing. The remaining three vertiport sites are also in development and expected online by 2026. In January 2025, the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) granted technical design approval for the DXV vertiport under the new UAE Vertiport Regulations. Dubai’s air taxi initiative remains firmly on schedule for a Q1 2026 launch.

Space

The United Arab Emirates has rapidly scaled its space ecosystem, with a strong emphasis on local satellite manufacturing. Orbitworks—a joint venture of Abu Dhabi’s Marlan Space and U.S. based Loft Orbital—is establishing the UAE’s first commercial low Earth orbit satellite production capability. The company plans to produce up to 50 satellites annually with its first satellites planned for launch in 2026. Space42, formed from the merger of Bayanat and Yahsat under G42, is creating a fully integrated AI‑powered Earth Observation (EO) ecosystem. Through a partnership with ICEYE, Space42 is developing a facility in Abu Dhabi to be the region’s first commercial hub for SAR satellite design, assembly, integration, and testing. Fada, Edge Group’s newly launched space subsidiary, is also developing a SAR satellite and plans to expand into other space related sectors through partnerships and UAE based manufacturing.   

The UAE Space Agency’s Space Economic Zone program is cultivating a space economic ecosystem, anchored by special-purpose Space Economic Zones. These zones offer integrated benefits—including “space labs” with technical and facility access, express regulatory permits, funding solutions, incubators, accelerator programs, and dedicated workspace enablers—all designed to stimulate SME growth in the space sector and diversify the economy beyond oil revenues. The Dubai based Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre is a key partner of NASA in human spaceflight and the Artemis Program to return humans to the moon and eventually to Mars.  

Resources

Trade Shows and Exhibitions
Please contact us for additional information regarding trade shows, U.S. pavilions, and export promotion services that may be available for U.S. companies.
Dubai Airshow
Date: November 17-21, 2025
Venue: Al Maktoum International Airport DWC, Dubai Airshow Site

The Unmanned System Exhibition - UMEX
Date: January 27-29, 2026
Venue: Abu Dhabi, UAE

MRO Middle East
Date: February 4-5, 2026
Venue: Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, UAE

Aircraft Interiors Middle East
Date: February 4-5, 2026
Venue: Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, UAE

Airport Show Middle East
Date: May 12-14, 2026
Venue: Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, UAE