Dubai Airshow: In pictures, in the air and on the ground

This year's Dubai Airshow is set to be the biggest so far, with more than 1,100 exhibitors and some 65,000 trade visitors expected this week. Defence is taking centre-stage because of the conflicts in Yemen and Syria. Here are some of the highlights so far:

"There is an appetite for aircraft in the Middle East - we aim to help the market understand what's available," says Michele van Akelijen, of the airshow's organisers F&E Aerospace

Air campaign against Islamic State (IS): Speaking at the show, US Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said air strikes were working but would also need local boots on the ground

Gulf countries are set to spend on new defence orders as the conflicts in Yemen and Syria prompt militaries to replenish their arms

Europe's Eurofighter Typhoon: Saudi Arabia, Oman and now Kuwait have bought the plane - and the Saudi air force is using them over Yemen

The USA's most sophisticated fighter, the F-22 Raptor, put in an impressive performance - but the US will not sell it to overseas customers to protect its stealth technology and other features

Boeing is hoping to export up to 50 of its Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor in the next four years, half of which could be bought by Gulf countries

France's Rafale fighter going through its paces: Egypt bought 24 of the jets in a $5.6bn (£3.7bn) deal announced earlier this year

A visitor takes a closer look at a US Apache attack helicopter: Boeing is looking for new orders for this and its smaller AH-6i helicopter, which Jordan and Saudi Arabia have already bought

The UAE is buying two of Saab's Global 6000 military surveillance planes and upgrading two others for $1.27bn

The defence industry typically represents half of the displays at the Dubai Airshow

Among the aerobatic teams this year were the Italian air force's Frecce Tricolori in their Aermacchi MB-339 trainers

And the UAE air force's Al-Fursan aerobatics team - also flying Aermacchi MB-339s

Organisers ensured the show got off to a good start on the orders front with $30bn (£19bn) worth of deals signed on Monday

Notable deals so far include Vietnam's carrier Vietjet, which has signed a $3.6bn order with Airbus for 30 of its A321 airliners

And Boeing, which has signed an $8bn agreement to build 75 Boeing 737s for India's Jet Airways

But this year's show is unlikely to rival the previous event's record number of civilian deals as carriers already have 750 outstanding orders for jets with the manufacturers