Dubai Air Show:Gulf States Flash the Cash

More than aircraft was on display at the Dubai Air Show,which ended on Sunday.The show took place at the new Al Maktoum International Airport,midway between Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.It was evident that the airlines of the Gulf States have become the dominant force in the commercial aviation sector as they made their sweeping purchases at the DAS.
The Persian Gulf airlines have limited local business.They largely cater to international travelers,who use their desert hubs for single stop globetrotting.Boeing got 86% of its backlog for the new 777X wide-body jet from Gulf States carriers;while Airbus gets more than half its orders from Emirates Air,the world's biggest international airline.Emirates made 75.6 billion dollars of purchases at the airshow;even the cut rate carrier FlyDubai bought 111 Boeing 737s for 8.77 billion.Etihad Airways bought 25 777Xs and 30 787-10 Dreamliners from Boeing,plus 50 Airbus A350s and 36 A320neos for 45 billion,and Qatar Air plunked down 21.7 billion for 50 777X and 13 Airbus A330-200 cargo planes.
And there is no end in sight for this insatiable buying.Air transport has become a big part of the Gulf States' plan to diversify thier economies away from oil and gas.
Overall,Boeing sold 101.5 billion of aircraft at the airshow,edging EADS subsidiary Airbus for the most business acquired.What's incredible here is,the fulcrum used to be the Paris Air Show,said CNBC analyst Jim Cramer.Boeing's been the best-performing stock in the Dow.It went up 86.7% this year.The 777 is a money plane.They're gonna make a fortune on each plane.We're in year 2 of a 7-year aircraft cycle.
Boeing is America's greatest manufacturer.CEO Jim McNerney has got a fantastic team.All we could think about for a period of months was,the Dreamliner ain't working.You can't get a Dreamliner until 2020.I'll bet they come back from Dubai with a 10-year wait for a Dreamliner,the voluble Jim Cramer speculated.
Boeing(BA),European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company(Euronext:EAD)

Bullish on Bahrain

Talal al Zain,Chairman of Gulf Air and CEO of Mumtalakat,Bahrain's 9 billion dollar sovereign wealth fund,says the country already started on democracy 10 years ago.We're classified as the number 10 freest market in the world,with an excellent educated population.
It is 100% business as usual now-in spite of the Pearl Square protest.The bulk of the people support the al Khalifas as rulers in a constitutional monarchy,which we already have started.
Mumtalakat will continue to grow the wealth of the Bahraini people.I can tell you we will continue the improvement we have already started,Mr.al Zain promised.
The island nation is a key U.S. ally,hosting the headquarters of the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet.Its Shiite majority,inspired by the Egyptian revolution,is pushing for more of a say in the Sunni minority government.
Market Vectors Gulf States Index ETF(MES)