The Department for Business and Trade confirmed on 21 November 2025 that airlines placed or signalled significant Airbus purchases at the Dubai Airshow, with UK content in wings designed in Filton, Bristol and manufactured at Broughton, North Wales, and Rolls‑Royce engines produced in Derby. Ministers said the announcements are worth billions to the UK economy and will support thousands of skilled jobs across the aerospace supply chain.
Orders and memoranda spanned both widebody and narrowbody aircraft. Emirates added eight A350‑900s. Etihad placed firm orders for six A330‑900s and seven A350‑1000s and disclosed three A350F freighters. Ethiopian Airlines ordered six A350‑900s. Flydubai signed a memorandum of understanding for 150 A321neo aircraft, becoming a new Airbus customer. Air Europa agreed an MoU for up to 40 A350‑900s. Buraq Air in Libya signed an MoU for 10 A320neo aircraft. Silk Way West ordered a further two A350F freighters. According to the government, 34 widebody aircraft in this week’s orders are fitted with Rolls‑Royce engines made in Derby.
Officials linked the activity to the UK’s aerospace capabilities, noting that Airbus employs around 12,000 people across UK sites and Rolls‑Royce employs about 22,000. The government also pointed to roughly 30,000 UK jobs supported by British wings and engines across the supply chain, with activity clustered in Derby, Wales and Bristol.
UK Export Finance issued an Expression of Interest to provide up to $3.5 billion (around £2.7 billion) of financing support for the planned expansion of Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai, a project reported at approximately $35 billion (about £27 billion). An Expression of Interest signals potential capacity to support a transaction; any facility would remain subject to detailed due diligence, credit assessment and final approvals under UKEF policy.
If progressed, the prospective package could support UK suppliers across consultancy and masterplanning, construction and manufacturing, airport systems integration, baggage and security technology, and operational software and services. UKEF indicated that opportunities would arise across the full development cycle of the airport, creating scope for prime contractors and tiered suppliers to participate.
For UK exporters assessing eligibility, UKEF guidance typically requires demonstrable UK content alongside compliance with anti‑bribery, sanctions, and environmental, social and human rights due diligence. Buyer Credit support can usually cover up to 85% of an eligible export contract value, with the balance payable by the overseas buyer. Firms without a specific export contract may look to working‑capital guarantees such as the General Export Facility or, for larger facilities, the Export Development Guarantee, where applicants are expected to show a material share of UK turnover from exports or a credible plan to build exports.
The government set the commercial context by noting that UK‑UAE trade reached a record £24.8 billion in 2024. More than 14,000 British companies export to the UAE each year, over 5,000 UK firms maintain a presence in the market, the UK is the largest source of foreign direct investment stock in the UAE, and the UAE is the largest Gulf investor in the UK.
Alongside the airshow, Trade Minister Sir Chris Bryant discussed progress on a potential UK‑Gulf Cooperation Council free trade agreement. Government analysis states that, in the long run, a deal could increase UK‑GCC trade by at least 16%, add at least £1.6 billion annually to UK GDP and contribute £600 million or more to UK wages. Negotiations continue with the government reiterating that UK standards on labour, environment, public health and animal welfare will not be diluted.
Analysis: For aerospace and airport‑systems suppliers, the combination of new aircraft commitments and a UKEF signal on Dubai’s airport expansion translates into a multi‑year pipeline. The immediate commercial tasks are familiar to procurement teams: establish visibility with potential primes, confirm UK‑content calculations, prepare ESG documentation for export credit due diligence, and line up capacity and financing so that working capital does not become a constraint.
For risk managers, the key variables will be credit structure and tenor, local‑law procurement conditions in Dubai, and coordination with other export credit agencies that may back competing bids. UKEF’s policy framework-particularly foreign‑content rules, sanctions screening and environmental and social assessment-will shape final eligibility. Companies intending to bid should use the current window to verify compliance positions, update supplier attestations and ready evidence of UK economic value added. The opportunity set is material; delivery will depend on meeting formal policy tests and the pace of award decisions in Dubai.