Dubai Airshow concludes with billions in deals

The five-day Dubai Airshow 2025 concluded on Friday in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with orders worth billions of dollars.

The biennial event drew more than 1500 exhibitors from 115 countries and regions to showcase their products and services.

More than 200 airplanes were on display at this year's Dubai Airshow, including civil aircraft, defense aircraft and drones. Many participants opened up their wallets to buy beloved products and services.

Emirates Airlines announced a 38-billion-U.S. dollar order for 65 Boeing 777-9 planes on the first day of the show, while the Tawazun Council for Defence Enablement, which is in charge of defense purchases in the UAE, signed about 20 contracts. Others like FlyDubai, Etihad Airways and Ethiopian Airlines also signed multi-billion dollar contracts.

One highlight of this year's air show was the presence of Chinese companies.

Around 50 Chinese companies attended the event, with COMAC C919 making its Middle East debut. China Southern Airlines opened the aircraft to visitors, who toured the cabin and cockpit.

"China Southern Airlines flew its C919 airplane to Dubai for a static display. We believe this is an important step for China's civil aviation and manufacturing sector to move toward the world stage," said Ni Kai, deputy general manager of strategic planning and investment department at China Southern Airlines.

COMAC also brought its own C919 and put on a flying display for the audience.

Another highlight came from the UAE's Fursan Al Emarat aerobatic team, which debuted Chinese-made L-15 trainer jets in a flying display. The aircraft were repainted in black and gold stripes to symbolize the country's seven emirates.

"I'm Emirati. I'm proud of what's happened. But if I'm not Emirati, I'm proud still. I know it's China. I know it's new airplane. I know it's first-time display in UAE. I know it's China," said a visitor.

This year, Russia brought about 850 exhibits to the show. Planes such as Su-57E and Ansat-M helicopters made their debut in the Middle East.

"Ansat helicopters is a light class helicopter, which can transport up to eight passengers inside. This helicopter is kept with Russian engines, Russian avionics, and can fly in various conditions. The flight range is about 660 kilometers," said Dmitry Zuykov, head of marketing at Russian Helicopters.

"This is the combat scout-attack helicopter Ka-52E. This is the aircraft for attack missions for support ground forces. As you can see, it has the unique design, coaxial rotor design. So it assures great stability and maneuverability in mountain regions and above sea areas. So it ensures great control of the aircraft," said a representative of the Russian state-run arms exporter Rosoboronexport.

Earlier at the airshow, a Russian official said Rosoboronexport has 60 billion dollars worth of orders in its portfolio.

Analysts said Russia is trying to enhance and strengthen the influence of its products on the Middle Eastern market.

Dubai Airshow concludes with billions in deals

Dubai Airshow concludes with billions in deals

Amid fluctuating global energy prices and Indonesia's recent push to advance its biodiesel production policy, residents in the country are facing mounting pressure from higher prices for cooking oil, driven by tightening supplies.

To reduce fossil fuel reliance and strengthen fiscal resilience amid global uncertainty from the Middle East conflict, the Indonesian government will implement its B50 biodiesel policy on July 1, 2026. This initiative is expected to cut fossil fuel consumption by roughly 4 million kiloliters, representing an estimated economic value of 48 trillion rupiah (around 2.6 billion U.S. dollars).

B50 is an Indonesian biodiesel mandate requiring a 50 percent blend of palm oil-based biofuel with fossil diesel to reduce fuel imports and enhance energy security.

As a result, more of the country's palm oil is to be channeled into biodiesel production, putting further strain on the supply of palm oil used for cooking.

For many Indonesian households, palm oil is a daily cooking staple. Supply-driven price surges have made it increasingly unaffordable, pushing families to change their eating habits.

"I hope prices can return to what they were. Please don't raise them any further -- life is already getting harder, and it's tough to earn a living. Right now, I just have to cut back wherever I can and use less oil for frying," said a consumer.

The food service industry relies heavily on palm oil and has also been severely impacted. As markets anticipate ongoing supply shortages, volatile palm oil prices are already increasing costs for businesses in the sector, many of which are small, independent operations.

"Everything is going up. Our costs keep rising -- we're barely breaking even," said a food stall vendor.

Indonesian residents hit by soaring cooking oil prices