The recent Middle East Business Aviation conference (MEBA) in Dubai on January 31 and February 1 and the Asian Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition (ABACE) in Hong Kong on February 6 and 7 pulled in an estimated 5,200 combined attendees. This was the inaugural show for MEBA, which is held by the new Middle East Business Aviation Association. The event drew 90 exhibitors and more than 30 aircraft on static display. Estimates put the total number of orders at about $900 million. The news from the second-annual NBAA-sponsored ABACE was upbeat if not as spectacular as MEBA. Airbus announced significant orders, but other OEMs broke no sales records. The number of exhibitors however, was up to 50 from 35 last year. Infrastructure development and collaboration were the major themes at this year’s show, with a growing number of Western companies announcing Western/Asian partnerships.