REPORT: International Defense Exhibition and Conference IDEX 2013 opens in Abu Dhabi

 
The International Defense Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) 2013 that opened in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Sunday, attracted many defense-industry enterprises from home and abroad.                

Launched in 1993, the biennial IDEX has become one of the largest fairs for defense technology and military equipment in the world. This year's IDEX is hosting around 1,112 exhibiting companies from 59 countries and regions.                      

The event's organizers claim that, as the only tri-service exhibition in the Middle East & North Africa, IDEX is able to provide the optimum business environment for international solution providers across land, sea and air sectors to target buyers in the region.              

The event is held under the patronage of Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.             

The host country UAE, with 144 companies participating, occupied the largest exhibition space at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center.            

The Light Armored Vehicle (LAV) system from the UAE-based NIMR Company is one of the event's highlights.                 

"It's the world's first LAV equipped with a heavy-duty turret. Compared with the turret, the vehicle looks small in size. Such turrets are usually for tanks or 8x8 armored vehicles," said Mohamed Musabah Al Mazrouei, the acting general manager of NIMR, UAE's largest military vehicle manufacturer.              

Mazrouei said that his company has set up a joint venture in Algeria, with a contract for the production of such armored vehicles with an annual turnout of 200 units for 15 years.
                
LAVs will mainly be exported to North African countries.    

He also added that LAV buyers mainly preferred its great advantage in adapting to the desert environment and high temperature in the Middle East region.                             

David Reeths, director of HIS Jane's Consulting Company, said that UAE first began to develop its domestic defense industry during the mid-1990s. At that time, ship-building was their primary target, but now that has shifted to the development of military vehicles.           

With the changing of global defense strategies under the current global military strategic situation, it also provided a good opportunity for the development of UAE's defense industry.              

He also added that the UAE's defense industry is still in the start-up period as the petrochemical industry is the country's pillar industry. With an increased investment in the past two years, UAE's defense industry has achieved impressive development.               

Hosting the region's largest international defense exhibition could not only help UAE further develop its defense industry, but also bring great economic benefits, Reeths added.
             
According to official statistics from Abu Dhabi, this year's IDEX, which will close on Feb. 21, is expected to bring a revenue of 300 million U.S. dollars.     


APTN

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