The fourth edition of Bahrain International Air Show ended on a high note with record-breaking participation and deals being signed at the three-day event, said a report.

By the close of business on day three, the total value of orders reached $9 billion, more than triple the 2014 figure. This includes aircraft orders for national carrier Gulf Air and a number of contracts to support Bahrain’s Airport Modernisation programme, according to Bahrain News Agency (BNA).

Declaring the show as a resounding success, the organisers said a record 30,000 visitors turned out at both the public and trade days of the air show.

As well as the record deals, the organisers confirmed that participation was also at an all-time high with more than 135 companies taking part.

“The total deals signed during the fourth edition of the Bahrain International Airshow is a reflection of the event’s success and growth prospects which we have seen over the years in the total number of visitors, delegations, companies, and countries’ representation," remarked Kamal bin Ahmed Mohammed, Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications and deputy chairman of the Supreme Organising Committee of "BIAS.

With each edition of the show, we continue to see new participation as well as returning participants which include some of the biggest names in the aviation industry worldwide. We are delighted to see the participants choosing BIAS to make their announcements and conduct their business and we look forward to creating further new opportunities in the next edition,” said an elated Mohammed.

Adam Thomas, UK Spokesman for Defence and Security Exports, UKTI said: "BIAS16 is a unique opportunity for both the UK Government and business to network with senior Bahrainis and other Gulf states."

The event provides an outstanding business to business networking environment, he stated.

Terming it as the most successful event to date, BIAS organisers said there is a date change for the next show which would see the event move from the usual January slot on the aerospace events calendar to November 2018.

The move to shift the event's dates to November 14-16 slot comes as a result of continued success and growth for the airshow, with 2016 seeing the biggest show to date with participation up by 60 per cent since the debut show in 2010.

Also the Exhibition Feature Pavilion at the 2016 event witnessed a nearly 50 per cent growth since the last edition and more international presence than ever, stated the report.

To accommodate this growth and expand the event further, the decision has been made to move the dates of the show to an alternate year to Dubai in a similar format the Paris and Farnborough International Airshows work to, said the report citing the minister.

On the date change, Mohammed said: "The Middle East civil aerospace market is growing at an exponential rate evidenced by the number of new airports in development in the region including Bahrain’s own Airport Modernization Programme."

"We want to provide the aerospace industry with more opportunities to do business in the region and the date change will help accommodate this," he stated.

"The success and growth of the airshow has shown there is a clear desire and demand for two major international airshows in the Middle East. Moving our show to November will allow both shows to operate successfully and showcase the strength of the aviation industry in the region," he added.

Amanda Stainer, the commercial director for Farnborough International, said: "We have been delighted to see the Bahrain International Airshow grow from strength to strength and in particular having a greater international presence."

"We’ve worked with the Ministry of Telecommunications and Transportation and the CAA very closely over the past 10 years and look forward to working with them again in 2018, she added.