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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The leader of the United Arab Emirates toured the Dubai Air Show on Wednesday as a sanctioned arms supplier displayed an attack helicopter used in Russia's war on Ukraine, highlighting his country’s continued ties to Moscow despite Western sanctions targeting it.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan toured the show with his brother, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a vice president and deputy prime minister of this autocratic country of seven sheikhdoms.

They stopped by a stand for EDGE, an Emirati defense company, where Sheikh Mohammed signed a drone in front of onlookers before attending a meeting there.

Outside, Russian pilots sat inside a KA-52 attack helicopter as it was pulled down the runway at Al Maktoum International Airport. Those helicopters have been repeatedly used in Ukraine and its manufacturer, Russian Helicopters, is sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury.

Inside a Russian pavilion on the runway, far away from the indoor stands of other airlines and suppliers, onlookers picked up and racked an AK-19 assault rifle on display. Others look at miniature drones and other equipment used by Moscow. Russian pilots associated with the manufacturer walked the halls of the inside displays in their flight suits.

Staff on hand at the pavilion referred questions to a spokesperson who did not respond to a request for comment by The Associated Press. The U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi referred questions to the State Department in Washington, which declined to comment. The U.S. military also has a HIMARS missile system, the type used with great success by Ukraine, on display at the opposite end of the runway at the show.

Russia had a similar display at the International Defense Exhibition and Conference in February that did not include attack aircraft. Russian money continues to flood into Dubai’s red-hot real estate market, in part by some who have fled Moscow over the war.

Daily flights between the Emirates and Moscow provide a lifeline for both those fleeing conscription and the Russian elite. The U.S. Treasury has expressed concerns about the amount of Russian cash flowing into the Arabian Peninsula country.

Meanwhile Wednesday, a Dubai International Airport official said passenger numbers this year will eclipse those for 2019, showing the strong rebound in travel after the coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns.

The airport, the world's busiest for international travel and home of the long-haul carrier Emirates, has had 64.5 million passengers through the third quarter of this year. That puts it on track to reach 86.8 million passengers for the full year, which would exceed its 2019 figure of 86.3 million passengers. It had 66 million passengers last year.