Fursan al-Emarat (the Knights of the Emirates)—the UAE’s national aerobatic team—is making its first public appearance with its new mounts in Dubai. Having flown the Leonardo MB-339NAT since the team’s formation in 2008, Al Fursan (the Knights) have now switched to the Chinese Hongdu L-15 Falcon advanced trainer.

UAE interest in the L-15 dates back several years. During the 2022 UMEX/SIMTEX exhibition in Abu Dhabi, China’s CATIC export organization announced an order from the UAE for 12, plus 36 options. Visitors to the Dubai Airshow in the previous year had been treated to a preview of the type when CATIC displayed the L-15A with a non-afterburning AI-222-25 engine.

The Gulf, where blockbuster commercial aviation demand converges with rising regional military spending, is arguably the prime location for a major aerospace and defense event. With the UAE consistently demonstrating its willingness to handle international relations in its own unique way, the Dubai Airshow this week is poised to make its mark as the industry closes 2025.

Spending by airlines, airports, and other civil aviation service providers in the Middle East is projected to exceed $28 billion this year, on track to surpass $35 billion by 2030. Last week, the IBA consultancy predicted that more than 300 new commercial aircraft orders and commitments would be announced during the show. Based on very approximate average pricing, this business could add around $60 billion to the year-end tally.

Twelve years since Boeing launched the 777X program at the 2013 Dubai Airshow, the OEM is back onsite with both its 777-9 test aircraft and a renewed confidence that delays to the protracted certification schedule are finally over.

With Boeing continuing to steadily work through FAA type inspection authorization test phases, head of airline marketing for the 777X Justin Hale has a “high confidence” the airplane will enter service by 2027, with certification forthcoming as soon as 2026, he told reporters during a briefing on the eve of the Dubai Airshow on Sunday.

Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has agreed to accept the FAA’s certification standards for Joby’s eVTOL aircraft. According to the U.S. manufacturer, the memorandum of understanding signed by the local regulator on November 12 will result in “a streamlined approval process” for launching air taxi services in the country.

GACA’s decision is expected to facilitate Joby’s existing partnership with Saudi company Abdul Latif Jameel, which has expressed interest in buying up to 200 of the four-passenger eVTOL vehicle. Under a deal announced in June, the family-owned group, which was an early investor in Joby, would become the manufacturer’s local distributor.

Having stated in April that it was to acquire an unspecified number of Saab Gripen E/Fs, the Colombian government signed a contract for 17 aircraft on November 14. The deal, valued at €3.1 billion ($3.6 billion), covers 15 Gripen E single-seaters and two Gripen F two-seaters, plus associated equipment, training, weapons, and services. Deliveries are scheduled to begin next year and run to 2032.

Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro announced the deal during a visit to a military base. A contract signing ceremony took place in Cali and was attended by Benjamin Dousa, Sweden’s minister for international development cooperation and foreign trade. The two governments also signed a pair of offset agreements covering various military and social projects, such as sustainable energy, water purification, cybersecurity, and aeronautics.

The digital flip-through issue of AIN’s award-winning Dubai Airshow News is now available online. It’s a great way to quickly scan the news from Dubai Airshow 2025, whether you’re in Dubai attending the show or watching from afar.