Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, on Sunday opened the International Defence Exhibition and Conference – Idex 2017 – at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.
They watched a military demonstration that included explosions, jet fighters and helicopters, together with Sudanese president Omar Al Bashir, according to the Associated Press.
About 125 local companies will occupy the biggest wing in the 13th edition of the biennial exhibition, which is being held alongside the fourth edition of the Naval Defence Exhibition (Navdex).
The participation of local companies is up 17 per cent compared to 2015, according to Staff Major-General Pilot Faris Al Mazrouei, chairman of the higher committee organising Idex and Navdex.
The largest exhibitor is the Emirates Defence Industries Company, EDIC, a joint venture between Mubadala Development and Tawazun Holding.
A total of 1,235 companies are taking part, a 3 per cent increase from 2015, including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, and Rostec. More than 100,000 visitors are expected to attend over the course of the event.
The previous edition attracted more than 100,000 visitors and 1,200 companies, with more than Dh18.3 billion of deals signed during the event.
Mena defence spending, which fell last year almost 2 per cent year-on-year because of low oil prices, is expected to rise 1.4 per cent to US$165 billion this year as countries face a number of conflicts, according to the consultancy IHS Jane’s.
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[ Idex 2017 ]
■ US military defence technology firm Harris lands UAE Armed Forces contract
■ Idex 2017 opens in Abu Dhabi – in pictures
■ Dh4.41bn worth of arms deals struck on day one of defence show
■ NIMR on track to expanding range
■ UK's Hesco hopes to employ UAE war veterans at its Al Ain factory
■ Mena defence spending to rise this year as conflicts create demand for arms
■ UAE will count on technologies to keep terror threats at bay
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* Wam
business@thenational.ae
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