GAMA, MEBAA Partner To Advance Bizav in Middle East

Today at MEBA 2012 in Dubai, the Middle East Business Aviation Association (MEBAA) and U.S.-based General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) announced a joint initiative to further promote and develop business aviation in the Middle East and North Africa region. The objective of the joint effort is to change the regulatory environment by encouraging civil authorities in the region to adopt a “best practices” set of common principles, which the two organizations will soon develop.

“The Middle East and North Africa region is of growing importance for business aviation, and we want to ensure it develops to its full potential,” said GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce. “It is important that we combine our efforts to ensure business aviation is treated fairly, with proportioned rules implemented across the region.”

MEBAA founding chairman Ali Ahmed Al Naqbi said the partnership with GAMA comes at an opportune time, because business aviation is on the “threshold of rapid expansion” in the MENA region. “The single biggest obstacle to the full development of business aviation in our region is the lack an appropriate framework tailored to the particular needs of business aviation,” he said. “Through this partnership we aim to change that.”