The United Arab Emirates has ranked first globally in Quality of Air Transport Infrastructure, according to a major annual report by the Swiss-based International Institute for Management Development, IMD. The World Competitiveness Yearbook 2015, released yesterday, ranks the UAE first in Quality of Air Transport Infrastructure, outweighing Singapore, the US, the UK, France and Germany.

H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, Chairman of Dubai Airports and President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, said, "Even as number one, we have a duty to do better tomorrow. Aviation is one of the main engines driving Dubai's emergence as a global centre for trade, commerce and tourism."

He said that a business and regulatory environment, spearheaded by Civil Aviation bodies, is supporting Dubai's growth by encouraging competition through Open Skies policies, world-class infrastructure and efficient operations, adding, "The ripple effects of this are being felt. With every US$100 of activity in the aviation sector, a further US$72 is added in other sectors of the local economy from supply chain connections and expenditures."

"For every 100 jobs created in aviation, an additional 116 jobs are created elsewhere in Dubai. Everything points in the direction that these figures will grow significantly in the next five years, leading to Dubai hosting Expo 2020. Today, Emirates Airline connects over 140 cities, facilitating traffic flow across six continents. By 2020, Emirates expects to carry 70 million passengers per year on over 300 aircraft, and we will continue to strengthen our global footprint, supported by a solid base that will further develop our operations and infrastructure," he added.

Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy and Chairman of the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority, said, "The UAE has a clear and solid vision, not only to enhance its competitive capabilities, but also to set an example for the international community.

"Ranking first in Quality of Air Transport Infrastructure in a relatively short period of time reflects the amount of effort deployed by the local aviation industry and the determination to achieve this success," he added.

Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Director-General of the GCAA, said, "It is an honour to obtain such an assessment result by an internationally renowned institution and to accomplish the best result worldwide. It could not have been done without the clear vision supported by a strong will to excel and progress."

He added, "For the UAE to score the highest in the world is testimony to our clear commitment to continue to strive in supporting and enhancing aviation infrastructure. The local aviation industry has worked tirelessly to profoundly implement a culture of competitiveness."

The IMD report is based on more than 330 sub-indices based on statistical indicators and questionnaire data. In the questionnaire data, business executives attributed the UAE's attractiveness to economic dynamism, a business-friendly environment, competent government, reliable infrastructure and a competitive tax regime.
Source: WAM