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?

• What has the impact of expanding liquidity in aviation had on the Middle Eastern market?
• How have asset values been shaped by increased competition in the leasing space?
• How well positioned are Middle Eastern financiers to support growth in this sector?

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

• Given the successful issuance from DAE managed Kestrel 2019 1 Cayman & Kestral Aircraft Funding USA, what factors are attracting DAE to the ABS market?
• Which structures are DAE looking towards to provide the greatest value as they continue to build their managed aircraft portfolio?
• In light of receiving an investment grade corporate credit rating in 2018, can we expect more unsecured issuance 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 Emirates remain resilient amidst macro headwinds

11:30AM How important is Islamic Finance 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 Networking lunch

1:40PM 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?

2:20PM 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?

3:00PM Afternoon networking break & refreshments

3:30PM Is airline consolidation necessary for Middle Eastern carriers in the long run?

• At a meeting of the Arab Air Carriers Organisation AGM carriers put forward the view that airline consolidation will likely not happen in the next 5 years, but is this a good or bad thing for the industry?
• What options do Middle Eastern carriers have in the face of chronic overcapacity and a more challenging macro environment?
• How strongly positioned are the smaller Middle Eastern carriers?

4:10PM Airline closing keynote

4:50PM Chairperson's closing remarks

4:55PM Open drinks reception

8:00AM Morning refreshments & networking

9:00AM Chairperson's opening remarks

9:05AM Oil pricing experiences turbulance

• 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 Developing new engine technology

• 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