Six months prior to the Dubai Airshow, Flight Friday looks at how the top 10 Middle East operators by passenger flights have been flying over the last 12 months.
Flyadeal has revealed its long-awaited widebody deal, placing a firm order for 10 A330neos which the Saudi LCC hopes will propel it into a new phase of growth.
The LCC is looking at aircraft for flights into Southeast Asia or India to accommodate the large volumes of low-yield migrant labor traffic into Saudi Arabia.
Saudia Group has signed a firm order for an additional 93 A321neos and 12 A320neos to be shared between its full-service carrier Saudia and LCC Flyadeal.
Emirates plans to reveal further orders taking fleet plans into the 2030s, but new players like Riyadh Air and a revived Indian aviation sector are emerging.