H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court, inaugurated the 16th edition of the International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX 2023) at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), Abu Dhabi.
Sheikh Mansour said that IDEX was able to establish its position as one of the most prominent and influential defence exhibitions at the regional and global levels over the past decades, stressing the keenness of the UAE’s wise leadership, headed by President His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to develop the defence industries sector and achieve leadership in various fields of defence and security production, strengthening its role in shaping the future of this sector, designing its strategies, discovering its solutions and technologies, and benefiting from its abundant economic returns.
He pointed out that the high-level international participation in this year’s exhibition activities clearly shows its transformation into a global platform for displaying the latest technologies and the most advanced defence solutions and systems, in addition to its pivotal role in providing an open space for meeting, exchanging experiences and concluding deals between major companies and elite specialists in the defence sector.
He also wished the organisers of the exhibition and the participating delegations success in their work.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence; Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Bowardi, Minister of State for Defence Affairs; Staff Lieutenant General Engineer Issa Saif Mohammed Al Mazrouei, Chief of Staff of the UAE Armed Forces; Major General Pilot Sheikh Ahmed bin Tahnoun bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chief of Staff of the UAE Armed Force; Ahmed Juma Al Zaabi, Adviser to the UAE President; Hamad Mohammed Thani Al Rumaithi, Military Affairs Adviser to the UAE President; and Major General Staff Pilot Faris Khalaf Al Mazrouei, Chairman of the Higher Organising Committee of IDEX and NAVDEX.
H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed received the heads of delegations participating in IDEX and toured a number of pavilions of national and international companies, during which he was briefed on the most important military products and equipment and the latest defence systems on display.
Sheikh Mansour’s tour included the NAVDEX exhibition, in which exhibitors presented industry’s latest solutions and technologies in the maritime defence sector.
The five-day event, which is one of the most significant defence exhibitions in the world and the largest in the region, coincides with the 30th anniversary of the pioneering event’s launch.
The current edition features the participation of 65 countries, which is a 10 percent increase over the previous session and a 200 percent increase compared to the first edition in 1993. Moreover, the number of national pavilions has increased to 41, marking a growth rate of 17 percent compared to the previous session.
