During the Global Aerospace Summit, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) announced the opening of a representative office for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The new office will be co-located with the Middle East and North Africa Business Aviation Association (MEBAA) in Dubai, UAE.

The establishment of the GAMA office highlights the importance of the MENA region for general and business aviation, as well as the strong partnership between GAMA and MEBAA. General aviation fixed-wing airplane deliveries to the region grew from less than 5 percent of total deliveries in 2007 to 9 percent in 2013. “GAMA is excited to establish a presence in this important part of the world and to work with our partners at MEBAA to ensure that business aviation in the region develops to its full potential in an appropriate regulatory environment that is focused on safety,” said Peter J. Bunce, President and CEO of GAMA. “I want to thank the Middle East Business Aviation Association and its Founding Chairman Ali Al Naqbi for facilitating this exciting new development.”

MEBAA Founding Chairman Ali Al Naqbi added, “We warmly welcome our partners from GAMA, the world’s leading aviation manufacturing industry association, to this dynamic region. We look forward to a productive period ahead as we work together to develop new ways of treating business aviation as the productivity and business tool that it is.”

As one of its first efforts, GAMA’s office in Dubai will partner with MEBAA to facilitate the launch of an important initiative: a survey of the region’s regulatory structure for business aviation operations. Under this project, industry experts will engage with regional regulatory authorities to explore ways to ensure that operations rules are tailored to business aviation.

In addition to Bunce, Edward Smith, GAMA’s Senior Vice President for International and Environmental Affairs, who oversees the association’s regional activities, attended the announcement. The new office in Dubai adds to GAMA’s international presence, with an office in Brussels and a representative in Beijing in addition to its Washington headquarters.