For years manufacturers have been anticipating a business aviation boom in the Middle East, but a meaningful expansion of the customer base has been slow to come in that part of the world. However, judging by the proliferation of new locally owned charter operators present at the recent Middle East Business Aviation (MEBA) show in Dubai, the boom is most definitely on.

For some time, forward-thinking Western companies such as Jet Aviation and ExecuJet Aviation have been expanding their aircraft charter and management capacity in the Middle East, for the most part in the prosperous states of the Arabian Gulf. But now, operators launched by local entrepreneurs from as far afield as Lebanon, Jordan, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates are increasing their fleets as fast as manufacturers can supply the aircraft. Most observers at MEBA agreed that charter will be the main engine for growth in the Middle East and that–fueled by vast oil wealth and dynamically diversifying economies in hotspots such as Dubai–this growth seems to have exponential potential.

In Bahrain, charter firm Bexair is working with sister company Aaelco (Arabian Aircraft and Equipment Leasing Co.) to set up financing for new business aircraft owners. According to Bexair vice president