Dubai, Nov 15 (IANS): Airlines in the Middle East will require 1,921 new passenger and freighter aircraft in the next 20 years -- valued at $347 billion, according to a global market forecast.

A total of 1,882 are passenger aircraft worth around $336 billion and 39 would be freighter aircraft worth around $11 billion, Xinhua reported.

The strong growth will result in the almost trebling of the region's fleet from over 800 aircraft today to around 2,260 by 2030, according to the forecast released at the ongoing Dubai international airshow.

The main drivers of the strong demand for new aircraft include fleet expansion and replacement, greater urbanisation, an increasing number of mega cities and the overall expansion of the region as tourist destination.

"The Middle East remains one of the world's most robust aviation regions and this is confirmed by a 200 percent increase in inter-regional passenger traffic over the last 10 years," said John Leahy, Airbus chief operating officer.

"The region is uniquely placed with more than 85 percent of the world's population within reach of a direct flight, making the Middle East a fertile market place for our eco-efficient aircraft today and beyond," he said.