US Partnership Pavilion to reiterate US-UAE ties at Dubai Airshow 2023

• More than 130 American companies participating, majority in the USA Partnership Pavilion
• Former NASA Space Shuttle Commander Mike Bloomfield (USAF, Ret.), to attend as goodwill Ambassador for industry and Astronaut Al Worden Endeavour Scholarship 

Dubai, UAE and Waldwick, NJ, USA. 13 November 2023 .The decades-strong bilateral partnership between the United States and the United Arab Emirates will be prominently on display at the 2023 Dubai Airshow, the region’s largest aerospace and defense exhibition, with more than 130 American companies exhibiting, an impressive number of U.S. military and commercial aircraft on display, and a high-level delegation of American diplomatic, military and industry leaders in attendance 13-17 November at the DWC Dubai Airshow site.

Against a backdrop of geopolitical tension and strained alliances across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), the strong U.S. showing, the largest ever at this event, underscores the country’s commitment to cooperation on a wide range of issues including regional peace and stability. The UAE is the United States’ single largest export market in the MENA region, and more than 1,000 U.S. firms operate in the country, according to the U.S. State Department.

The centerpiece of the U.S. national presence at the show is the USA Partnership Pavilion, organized for the 9th consecutive edition — 13th overall — by Kallman Worldwide, Inc., in coordination with government agencies including the U.S. departments of Commerce, Defense, State and Transportation. The Pavilion is America’s headquarters on-site, a high-profile showcase for 80 participating U.S. exhibitors to maximize their exposure and impact at the event, and a forum for all to share ideas and insights.

The Pavilion roster includes 21 exhibitors that are new to the show and seven new to the market. A total of 22 states are represented, including two stand-alone state pavilions — Washington and Arizona — within the larger U.S. space, all looking to generate new business and create more jobs back home by growing exports, expanding in their in-region footprint, and/or recruiting overseas partners to establish or participate in stateside operations.

Notable among the U.S. manufacturers, technology innovators, and supply-chain leaders participating in this year’s show are multi-national companies with significant in-country operations, including Raytheon (Booth RT1), Lockheed Martin (Booth LM1), and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (Booth 1380). Kallman Worldwide President and CEO Tom Kallman said the American participation in the show reflects a global trend.

“Now more than ever, success in international trade comes from partnership and teamwork. The USA Partnership Pavilion sharpens our focus on advancing America’s national security and global trade interests by building stronger relationships with our international customers,” Kallman said. “From publicly traded OEMs to small-and-medium sized enterprises, many of our exhibitors already have significant partnerships and operations in the UAE and the MENA region. After this show, many more will.”

A corollary to building partnerships and creating jobs is finding people to do the work, said Kallman. As industries and supply chains struggle to attract skilled workers, the organizer has sharpened the focus of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts to inspire and empower the future workforce.

“Every country we work in — at least 50 over our 60-year history — is facing the same challenges to prepare young people for the future. Our lead CSR initiative, the Astronaut Al Worden Endeavour Scholarship, connects with worldwide interest in space to promote science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers,” he said.

The program honors its namesake Worden, pilot of the Apollo 15 Command Module “Endeavour,” whose lifelong commitment to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education included serving as Kallman’s STEM ambassador at trade shows around the world from 2016 until his death in 2020. Scholarship winners receive an all-expenses paid trip to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center Space Camp in Huntsville, AL.

At the Dubai Airshow this year, former NASA Space Shuttle Commander, Col. Mike Bloomfield (USAF, Ret.), will attend as goodwill ambassador for industry and the Endeavour Scholarship. In addition to his presence on the show floor, Bloomfield will participate in the introduction of the third UAE Endeavour Mission Team and will tour area schools to promote STEM education and careers.

From the show floor to the wider stakeholder community, the collective U.S. presence at the 2023 Dubai Airshow is a strong indication of how important the MENA region is to the United States, and that buyers and influencers there are looking to U.S. industry for innovative solutions and partners to help strengthen regional defense and economic security, particularly as China gains influence and market share there.

“The People’s Republic of China has chosen to compete in the region and is aggressively expanding its diplomatic, informational, military, and economic outreach,” U.S. CENTCOM Commander, Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla told the Senate Armed Services Committee last March. “We are in a race to integrate with our partners before China can fully penetrate the region.”