More than 40 renowned international aviation leaders and experts will share their professional insights, experiences and future perspectives on the aviation industry and its challenges during the fourth edition of the Global Airport Leaders’ Forum (Galf) in Dubai this May.

Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, the forum will be co-located with the 16th edition of Airport Show, the top league B2B platform for the global airport industry decision-makers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and Indian Subcontinent.
 
The forum, which will be held on May 10 and 11 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, will witness brain storming sessions on key industry issues such as open skies, oil price volatility, how the industry will develop over the next decade, next generation passengers, safety and security issues, strategies to enhance passenger capacity , market overcrowding, new project reviews and opportunities, securing ongoing finance and investment for expansion, developing the low cost carrier market and  also present aviation trends overview, a review of major airport projects in saudi Arabia, opportunities in aviation with a focus on the UAE and economic outlook and strategies to help stakeholders effectively deal with the rising number of passengers, estimated to cross 7 billion by 2034.

Daniyal Qureshi, group exhibition director, Reed exhibitions Middle East - organisers for the Airport Show, Galf and WTCEME - said: “Galf will have an impressive lineup of more than 40 decision-makers, policy makers, industry think tanks, academicians and influencers and over 200 delegates this year. The forum will discuss issues that are highly relevant to the industry at a time when we are witnessing a major shift in passenger expectations and new challenges. The forum will be immensely beneficial to the region which is in need of global expertise given the fast pace of growth and investments in the aviation infrastructure.”
 
The confirmed international speaker lineup includes Sheikh Aiman Al Hosni, chief executive officer, Oman Airports Management Company; Mohammed Al Binfalah, chief executive officer, Bahrain Airport Company; Melvyn Ford, vice president, Business Development, Hill International; Sani Sener, president and chief executive officer, TAV Airports Holding; Kjeld Binger, chief executive officer, Airports International Group; Zouhair Mohammed El Aoufir, chief executive officer, Morocccan Airports Authority; Diogenis Papiomytis, director, Aerospace and Defence Practice, Frost & Sullivan; Colm Moran, chief executive, daa International and Anil Khurana, partner, PwC.

The speakers from the UAE include Thani Al Zaffin, chief executive officer, Emaratech and Ramesh Cidambi, senior vice president- IT and Logistics, Dubai Duty Free.

Among the companies supporting the forum as sponsors include emaratech, Hill International, Egis and PwC.

Airport Show and Galf will provide an ideal platform to share details of the future plans of Dubai’s Aviation Sector in the run up to the Expo 2020 and beyond, offering global industry players insights into the requirements of what is being hailed as the super growth phase in the UAE’s and Dubai’s aviation domain. - TradeArabia News Service