Following the success of the first instalment of the conference, BIAS is working with industry leaders to build upon the show’s thought leadership conference programme in 2024. The inaugural Bahrain International Airshow (BIAS) conference programme in 2022 focused on matters of importance across the aerospace, aviation, and space sectors for the Kingdom of Bahrain and the wider region.

The programme featured dignitaries, subject matter experts, captains of industry and other diverse speakers such as Captain Waleed Al Alawi, Chief Executive Officer, Gulf Air; Heidi Grant, President of Business Development, Boeing; Dr Mohamed Al-Aseeri, CEO, NSSA; Nancy Ziuzin Schlegel, VP for International Government Relations, Lockheed Martin; Mohamed Yousif Al Binfalah, Chief Executive Officer, Bahrain Airport Company; H. E. Salem Butti Salem Al Qubaisi, Director General, UAE Space Agency; Sue Donoghue, Arab Cluster CEO, DHL Global Forwarding.

BIAS is curating the 2024 programme, which is focused on key challenges and opportunities in the industry, in partnership with Manama Air Power Symposium, Kallman Worldwide and other key partners, including NSSA.

Across two days of content, the programme will feature four forums: 1) Airlines & Airports, 2) Space, 3) Defence, 4) Diversity & Inclusion. Topics will include sustainability and technological innovation, advancements around SAF emerging in the EMEA region, demand for investment in infrastructure, international collaboration for sustainable space operations such as active debris removal, commercial space launches in the Middle East, accelerating gender equality in the sector and the contribution to future workforce challenges.

An in-demand opportunity for networking and doing business in the region, the BIAS Supreme Organising Committee has reported more than 65% of the luxury exhibitor chalets have been sold, with companies such as Lockheed Martin, Rolls-Royce, Thales and Gulf Air securing their spots.

Commenting on the demand of the airshow, Yousif Mohamed Mahmoud, Director General, of Bahrain International Airshow Group, said: “The continued investment from the key international and regional aerospace leaders into the airshow demonstrates the supportive role BIAS plays in the industry and our need to support organisations in driving business and sharing knowledge. We are thrilled that we will be welcoming leaders from across the world to Bahrain again next year.”

In October, the show unveiled a new brand identity for the airshow to embody the Kingdom of Bahrain’s position as an innovative global hub for the aerospace industry. With the committee focused on the next 10 years and beyond, the new identity is an affirmation of the key values of the show – allyship, innovation and international trade – characterising the advancement of both the event and the Kingdom of Bahrain.