Airfinance Journal Middle East 2019

8:00AM Registration & morning refreshments

8:55AM Chairperson's opening remarks

9:00AM How strong are the fundamentals of Middle Eastern aviation?

• How Avolon sees the macro ME economy and implications for the airline sector
• The widebody dilemma – decreasing demand (over-ordering), order switching, exiting from older units
• The emerging role of Istanbul as a new ‘hub’ to compete against DXB
• Geopolitics and more specifically Aeropolitics in the region

9:30AM Will DAE Capital continue to tap the aircraft ABS market in 2019?

• Given the successful issuance from DAE managed Kestrel 2019 Aircraft Funding, what factors are attracting DAE to the ABS market?
• Which other structures are DAE looking at as it continues to build its managed aircraft portfolio?
• In light of receiving an investment grade corporate credit rating in 2018, can we expect more unsecured issuances in 2019?

9:50AM Questions still loom over the region's widebody backlog

• Over half of the global blacklog for the A380 still resides in the Middle East, what is the future of this aircraft program?
• With the first A380’s to come off lease being parted out, how much confidence do lessors in the region have in their ability to remarket this aircraft in the future?
• Which financing structures make sense to fund these deals?

10:30AM Morning networking break & refreshments

11:00AM Will the Middle Eastern economy support growth in aviation?

• How closely has the Middle Eastern economy correlated with airline performance in 2018/19?
• What impact, if any, have external political events had on the industry in the Middle East?
• What direction will Middle Eastern aviation be heading towards throughout 2019?

11:30AM The outlook for Islamic Financing to the region’s carriers & lessors

• With Natixis & Noordbank closing their recent aviation asset backed Sukuk with Abu Dhabi Global Markets, what role do we expect this bespoke financing to play in the region moving forward?
• What impact can we expect to have increased capital from the Middle East to have on the wider aviation finance market?
• Can we expect the amount of Islamic Finance deals to increase in the year to come?

12:10PM Air Arabia continue route expansion strategy

• How will Air Arabia’s fleet financing and renewal strategies change in accordance with recent route expansion across the Middle East and Africa?
• In Q4 2018, Air Arabia posted a strong profit of AED 26 million, what strategies will the airline employ to continue this trend?
• Which aircraft types are likely to make up Air Arabia’s fleet in the coming years?

12:40PM Networking lunch

2:20PM Saudi Arabian airlines continue to evolve

• Will we see the demand for widebody aircraft from Saudi airlines grow and how well positioned are they to take on extra capacity?
• Which financing solutions have we seen being utilised in Saudi Arabia?
• How strong is the appetite from Saudi financiers & investors for aviation?

2:50PM How great is the appetite of local financiers for aviation paper and metal?

• What needs to happen to bring more local financiers to the table?
• What opportunities are there for financiers who wish to deploy capital into aviation outside of the ME3?
• Which financing structures work in the Middle East and what innovations have we seen in this regard?

3:30PM Afternoon networking break & refreshments

4:00PM Can the UAE be a global player in the used aircraft market?

• Outlook for the secondary market in the UAE
• How big is the market?
• Who are the local players? Are more needed?

4:30PM Chairperson's closing remarks

4:45PM Open drinks reception

8:00AM Morning refreshments & networking

9:00AM Chairperson's opening remarks

9:05AM Outlook for oil prices

• After enjoying a slow and steady climb for much of 2018 – oil prices have dropped nearly 27% since October 1^st, what caused this shift?
• Do we expect oil pricing to recover in 2019?
• What impact has this had on Middle Eastern carriers?

9:35AM New engine technology developments

• What impact have engine delivery challenges had in the Middle East?
• What innovations are engine OEMs providing in engine technology?

9:55AM Is the region's airline performance a cause for concern for financiers?

• With some of the ME3 announcing cut profits in the first half of 2019, what is the broad outlook for Middle Eastern airlines amongst the financial community?
• What role can innovative financing solutions play in helping financiers deploy capital more effectively
• How strong is the appetite to fund smaller Middle Eastern airlines outside of the ME3?

10:35AM Morning networking break & refreshments

11:15AM Opportunities & challenges in investing in the UAE

• What differentiates the UAE from other financial centres in the Gulf?
• Which regulatory measures should investors be aware of and how can they generate significant ROI?
• How strong are the local finance markets & what challenges have issuers seen in this region?

11:45AM UAE helicopter leasing: A view after 25 years in the region

12:30PM Networking lunch and end of conference