MEBAA Chief Insists Middle East Remains Open for Business | Aviation International News

NBAA-BACE 2026

Regulations and Government

MEBAA Chief Insists Middle East Still Open for Business

Regulators flag Gulf risks as MEBAA predicts a record show in Dubai

Leaders of business aviation associations from around the world discussed the challenges facing international operators during a panel at NBAA-BACE in Las Vegas on Oct. 21, 2026. From left: AsBAA board member Paul Desgrossiliers; EBAA chairman Jurgen Wiese; BBGA managing director Lindsey Oliver; MEBAA chairman Ali Ahmed Alnaqbi; AfBAA vice chair Craig Middleton; CBAA president and CEO Harlan Simpkins; International Business Aviation Council director general Kurt Edwards; and Chris Morris, an aviation safety — Leaders of business aviation associations from around the world discussed the challenges facing international operators during a panel at NBAA-BACE in Las Vegas on Oct. 21, 2026. From left: AsBAA board member Paul Desgrossiliers; EBAA chairman Jurgen Wiese; BBGA managing director Lindsey Oliver; MEBAA chairman Ali Ahmed Alnaqbi; AfBAA vice chair Craig Middleton; CBAA president and CEO Harlan Simpkins; International Business Aviation Council director general Kurt Edwards; and Chris Morris, an aviation safety inspector with the FAA. © Hanneke Weitering/AIN

By Hanneke Weitering • Science & Technology Editor

October 21, 2026

Even as U.S. and European regulators continue to warn operators about conflict risks in Middle East airspace, the head of MEBAA told NBAA-BACE attendees that the region is open for business and that his group’s December show in Dubai will be its biggest yet.

Ali Ahmed Alnaqbi, chairman of the Middle East and North Africa Business Aviation Association (MEBAA), acknowledged during Wednesday’s “Ask the International Experts” session that regional events affect business aviation, though he argued that media coverage has overstated the danger. He urged operators to contact MEBAA directly for information about conditions on the ground.

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