Qatar and neighbors back drone defense and climate resilience for airports

Fifty-eight percent of assessed airport infrastructure in the Middle East faces threats from extreme heat, heavy rainfall and severe storms. That figure comes from an ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East pilot study covering 47 airports, presented at the 8th ICAO Meeting of Directors General of Civil Aviation for the Middle East Region (DGCA-MID/8), held recently in Doha.

Qatar joined member states across the region in backing a set of initiatives on drone threats, security screening, air connectivity and climate risk. ACI APAC & MID, which represents more than 600 airport members across 40 countries from headquarters in Hong Kong and a sub-office in Riyadh, drove the agenda.

What does this change for regional airports?

In the near term, not much is binding. The meeting produced endorsements, not regulations. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon and the UAE voiced support for ACI's recommendations on drone and landside security threats. Qatar partnered with ACI APAC & MID and CASP-MID to call for closer regional cooperation.

The concrete deliverable sits two years out. ACI APAC & MID plans joint workshops and webinars with ICAO and regional partners in 2027. Until then, the counter-drone effort rests on voluntary coordination. No funding figures, technology standards or enforcement mechanisms were named.

Screening trials get state backing

The association pushed for trials of advanced screening technology, including CT scanners, to strengthen security and streamline screening of liquids, aerosols and gels. Participating states agreed to support airports conducting these trials while improving passenger communication as global requirements evolve.

That commitment matters commercially. CT-based checkpoint screening could eventually lift the 100ml liquid limit and cut queue times. But the statement stops at "trials." No airports, timelines or procurement budgets were specified.

Connectivity and financing

ACI APAC & MID argued for restoring air connectivity and securing long-term investment to expand airport capacity. Delegates recognized these funding priorities and encouraged governments to support traffic recovery and build sustainable financing frameworks for airport infrastructure.

Again, the language is soft. "Encouraged" governments carry no obligation. The association did not publish capacity shortfall estimates or name recovery targets.

Climate tools and the Net Zero roadmap

The 58% infrastructure exposure finding is the hardest number in the meeting record. ACI APAC & MID presented practical tools to evaluate climate risks and cut emissions across regional facilities.

Participants recommended that governments push local airports to adopt these climate risk tools and join the Net Zero Roadmap Programme. Qatar, the UAE, Egypt and the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations (IFALPA) have endorsed that programme.

The association also urged integrating business continuity plans into safety management and emergency response setups, so airports can maintain essential operations during major disruptions.

Baronci: shared responsibility

ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East director general Stefano Baronci framed airports as assets requiring collective defense. He said: "Airports are critical economic infrastructure. Protecting them from emerging threats, ensuring they can withstand disruptions and investing in their future are shared responsibilities."

Baronci added: "We welcome the support from member states for our recommendations and look forward to working together to make airports across the Middle East safer, more resilient and better prepared for the future."

What to watch

The record shows consensus, endorsements and a 2027 workshop calendar. It shows no contracts, no regulatory text and no committed capital. The test arrives when governments convert encouragement into budgets, and when the 2027 workshops produce measurable counter-drone and screening outcomes.