06-05-2025
Italy showcases strongest-ever presence at Dubai Airport Show 2025
Dubai, UAE: Italy returns to Airport Show 2025, taking place from 6-8 May at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), with 25 companies exhibiting within the Italian Pavilion, and the largest overall national presence across the show floor. This robust participation underscores Italy's growing role as a strategic partner in delivering sustainable, high-performance airport and aviation solutions globally.
The Italian Pavilion, organized by ITA (Italian Trade Agency) together with the Italian Embassy in the UAE and in collaboration with Air Tech Italy, brings together a prominent group of companies offering innovative, efficient, and sustainable airport solutions – from ground systems to terminal design, from smart lighting to airside automation.
Lorenzo Fanara, Ambassador of Italy to the UAE, said: 'Italian companies are contributing to a forward-looking vision that aligns with the UAE's and the region's ambitions for greener, smarter airport ecosystems. The presence at the Dubai Airport Show of 25 Italian companies reflects the maturity of Italy's expertise in the sector and our continued investment in regional partnerships. We are proud to support innovation that enhances connectivity and sustainability, while strengthening the solid ties between Italy and the UAE across strategic industries such as aviation.'
The Italian exhibitors span a broad spectrum of airport and aviation-related technologies, from advanced airfield lighting systems, smart surveillance and perimeter security, to passenger flow management, automated parking solutions, and sustainable fencing. The Pavilion also features providers of integrated infrastructure design, ground support equipment, and digital platforms for airport operations and air traffic control. This comprehensive offering highlights Italy's strength in delivering end-to-end, sustainable solutions that enhance safety, efficiency, and passenger experience across airport environments.
Italy's expanded presence at the Dubai Airport Show reflects the broader strength of bilateral trade between the two countries. In 2024, total trade between Italy and the UAE reached €9.9 billion. Italian exports rose to €7.8 billion, marking a year-on-year increase of 19.4% and setting a new all-time record. Meanwhile, imports stood at €2 billion, generating a robust trade surplus of €5.8 billion. This growth is particularly evident in high-impact sectors such as mechanical engineering, which alone accounted for €1.5 billion in exports, up 27% year-on-year. These figures reaffirm Italy's position as the UAE's 10th largest supplier and its second-largest from the EU, underlining the country's rising strategic and economic significance in the Gulf region.
Valerio Soldani, Italian Trade Commissioner to the UAE and Director of ITA in the UAE, commented: 'Italy's presence at this year's Dubai Airport Show is larger and more strategic. Aviation and mobility technologies are playing a key role in our deepening economic ties with the UAE and the wider GCC region. From packaging machinery to infrastructure systems, Italian exports continue to gain traction, and we see particular potential in aviation-related sectors. Through our Pavilion, we are showcasing companies ready to meet the region's demand for efficiency, resilience, and sustainability, as well as to build long-term collaborations.'
'What makes the Italian approach unique is our ability to offer a centralized, unified platform that can address every airport-related challenge. Whether it's planning, building, upgrading, or optimizing, we provide integrated expertise across the entire airport lifecycle," said Giulio De Carli, President of Air Tech Italy and Founding Partner of OneWorks. 'According to ACI World forecasts, global air passenger traffic is expected to reach 20 billion by 2042 and 25 billion by 2052. The Middle East and Asia-Pacific are projected to account for nearly 58% of this global demand. To accommodate this growth, Middle Eastern airports will need an estimated $151 billion in investments by 2040. The Italian Pavilion in Dubai Airport Show brings together Italian companies delivering real-world solutions in every facet of airport design, operations, and innovation.'
The Middle East is entering a new era of airport transformation, with over $150 billion in planned investments and major projects like Dubai's $35 billion Al Maktoum expansion and Saudi Arabia's $50 billion King Salman International Airport. By 2040, regional airports are expected to serve over 1.1 billion passengers annually, reinforcing the Middle East's role as a global aviation hub. As demand accelerates, the Dubai Airport Show provides a critical platform, and Italy is at the centre of this growth, offering integrated, future-ready airport solutions.
The Pavilion also highlights Italy's proactive stance on sustainability in the aviation sector. All participating companies are aligned with international environmental frameworks, including CORSIA, and are embracing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), low-impact construction methods, and circular design principles.
About Italian Trade Agency - The Italian Trade Agency is the Government agency which promotes the globalization of Italian firms, under the aegis of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. ITA helps to develop, facilitate and promote Italian economic and trade relations with foreign countries, focusing on the needs of SMEs, their associations and partnerships. ITA sustains Italian firms in their internationalization process, promoting the marketing of Italian goods and services as well as the image of 'Made in Italy' products around the world, while facilitating outward Italian investments and encouraging FDI attraction into Italy. ITA provides information, support and consultancy services to Italian companies on foreign markets, in order to foster exports and economic cooperation in all sectors, with the objective of increasing the effectiveness of their presence on international markets. ITA works closely with the Italian Regions, the network of Italian Chambers of Commerce, business organizations and other public and private entities. ITA's headquarters are based in Rome and it works through a large network of offices around the world which are acknowledged as 'Trade Promotion Offices' of the Embassies or Consulates of Italy.
