Jet Aviation held the official grand opening of its new Dubai FBO and maintenance center Sunday night in front of local dignitaries and officials. The first full-service FBO in the United Arab Emirates, Jet Aviation Dubai’s maintenance center technically opened in May and has since gained approval to provide in-house customs as well as immigration and security clearance.

The two-story, 10,760-sq-ft FBO building includes a reception area and refreshment center, passenger and pilot lounges, a conference room, offices and a prayer room. It houses a fully equipped flight planning suite and full security screening equipment, including an X-ray machine for baggage. The overall size of the new complex including the hangar and workshop is 67,252 sq ft.

Construction began in June 2004, some two years after Jet Aviation forged its partnership with the local Al Mulla Business Group. Construction crews built the facility in a record nine months. Jet Aviation operates at two other locations in the Middle East: Jeddah and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

During last night’s ceremony, Jet Aviation Dubai senior v-p and general manager Philip Balmer received a maintenance approval certificate from the Dubai civil aviation authorities.