Domestic and international defence companies will descend on Abu Dhabi on Monday for the Middle East’s largest defence expo, to showcase the latest in advanced technological products amid geopolitical threats, conflicts and rising tensions worldwide.
The International Defence Exhibition (Idex), and Naval Defence and Maritime Security Exhibition (Navdex), will take place in the UAE capital from February 17-21, with the biennial event's largest expo yet, organisers said.
More than 150,000 visitors are expected through the doors during the week-long event, where more than 1,565 exhibitors from around the world will be in attendance. Featuring 41 country pavilions across more than 180,000 square metres of exhibition space, Idex will gather decision-makers, industry leaders and top companies to explore the future of maritime defence and security.
“This edition will feature 41 national pavilions, with the UAE pavilion being the largest at 25,000 square metres, a 4 per cent increase from the previous edition. The number of national companies has reached 213, making up 16 per cent of exhibitors, while international companies constitute 84 per cent,“ Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, managing director and group chief executive of Adnec Group, said.
Seven new countries, including Qatar, Ethiopia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, and Cyprus are participating this year. Additionally, a dedicated platform, with participation from 38 companies across 13 countries, has been introduced to raise awareness of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive threats.
More than 3,300 products and technologies will be displayed at the event. The exhibitions will also host more than 156 start-ups, accounting for 10 per cent of total exhibitors.
Emirati defence conglomerate Edge, alongside major international companies such as Raytheon Technologies, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Saab and Thales will be participating in this year's event.
“Idex is a key opportunity to engage with partners across the region and showcase how our advanced defence solutions can support the country’s security and aerospace ambitions,” said Kuljit Ghata-Aura, president of Boeing Middle East, Turkey, Africa, and Central Asia. “We look forward to ... further contributing to the growing domestic defence industrial base.”
Navdex will feature a display of naval fleets from countries such as the UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Pakistan, Greece, South Korea and India.
The event will feature the launch of several warships for the UAE Armed Forces, with the participation of 21 vessels from allied nations, including newly manufactured ships that highlight the advanced technology of the Emirati defence industry, organisers said.
The UAE and Saudi Arabia are developing their military production capabilities to reduce their reliance on foreign suppliers. The move is intended to diversify economies from oil, encourage domestic manufacturing and create more jobs. It will also boost sectors such as maintenance and repair operations where local capabilities exist.
The world's top arms producers have recorded a rise in revenue on the back of several wars and rising regional tension.
Revenue from the sales of arms and military services by the 100 largest companies in the industry reached $632 billion in 2023, an increase of 4.2 per cent on 2022, according to data by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) released in December 2024.
"Arms revenue increases were seen in all regions, with particularly sharp rises among companies based in Russia and the Middle East," Sipri said in its report. "Overall, smaller producers were more efficient at responding to new demand linked to the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, growing tension in East Asia and rearmament programmes elsewhere."
Six of the top 100 arms companies were based in the Middle East, with their combined arms revenue growing by 18 per cent to $19.6 billion, the data showed.
"The biggest Middle Eastern arms producers in the Top 100 saw their arms revenue reach unprecedented heights in 2023 and the growth looks set to continue," said Diego Lopes da Silva, senior researcher with the Sipri Military Expenditure and Arms Production Programme.
If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
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Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
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Buy farm-fresh food
The UAE is stepping up its game when it comes to platforms for local farms to show off and sell their produce.
In Dubai, visit Emirati Farmers Souq at The Pointe every Saturday from 8am to 2pm, which has produce from Al Ammar Farm, Omar Al Katri Farm, Hikarivege Vegetables, Rashed Farms and Al Khaleej Honey Trading, among others.
In Sharjah, the Aljada residential community will launch a new outdoor farmers’ market every Friday starting this weekend. Manbat will be held from 3pm to 8pm, and will host 30 farmers, local home-grown entrepreneurs and food stalls from the teams behind Badia Farms; Emirates Hydroponics Farms; Modern Organic Farm; Revolution Real; Astraea Farms; and Al Khaleej Food.
In Abu Dhabi, order farm produce from Food Crowd, an online grocery platform that supplies fresh and organic ingredients directly from farms such as Emirates Bio Farm, TFC, Armela Farms and mother company Al Dahra.
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