Dubai, one of the world’s fastest growing travel hubs, is set to host the third edition of its iconic knowledge sharing platform for global aviation industry professionals next year.

The two-day Global Airport Leaders Forum (GALF-2015) will be held at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre from May 11 and 12 as a co-located event of the 15th edition of Airport Show, the world’s top-notch B2B exhibition for the airport industry.

Both GALF and Airport Show will be held under the patronage of Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the president of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA), chairman of Dubai Airports and chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline and Group.

Sheikh Ahmed said: "The importance of airports as global travel hubs has been growing. In Dubai, the massive airport expansions are needed to accommodate the growth in air traffic and airport development continues to play a strategic role in our future growth agenda."

"The huge and consistent aviation investments will have a positive impact not just for Dubai alone but for the UAE, Gulf region and the world," he stated.

GALF, he stated, has been bringing international aviation experts and leaders to Dubai for an unparalleled knowledge and expertise sharing experience which will contribute to its combined efforts towards the sustained growth of the global aviation industry.

Both the events are being supported by Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Dubai Airports, Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects and dnata.

The forum will assemble the world’s foremost aviation industry thought leaders, experts and decision-makers, making it an ideal global platform to exchange knowledge, share best practices and explore emerging technologies and future innovations, said the organiser Reed Exhibitions Middle East.

The 2015 Forum comes at a time when the global aviation industry is continuing its fast growth and transformation, more so in the Middle East and the Arabian Gulf.  Aviation infrastructure developments in the run up to the Expo 2020 that Dubai will host and the expansion of the Dubai World Central (DWC) will be on the agenda, it added.

GALF will debate the current and future concerns of the airports industry for a better tomorrow. A number of issues like government regulations, best practices, industry cooperation and collaboration, innovation and technology and future travel trends will be discussed at the forum by experts drawn from various parts of the world.

Daniyal Qureshi, the group exhibition director, Reed Exhibitions Middle East, said an advisory board comprising top industry stalwarts has been formed to chalk out the agenda for the forum. It will have a stellar line up of speakers including the heads of international aviation bodies and airlines among others.

Reed Exhibitions Middle East and the conference production team at Nadd Al Shiba PR and Event Management will be working with leading industry players, international airports and global organisations to ensure that the 2015 event brings the best of ideas and industry cooperation to the fore for the benefit of all aviation professionals, he added.-TradeArabia News Service