President Sheikh Mohamed on Thursday visited the Maritime Defence and Security Exhibition (Navdex), part of the International Defence Exhibition (Idex), in Abu Dhabi.
Sheikh Mohamed toured a number of pavilions where he was briefed on the latest marine defence technology at the Abu Dhabi Exhibition Centre, state news agency Wam reported. He was accompanied by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed, Deputy Chief of the Presidential Court for Special Affairs, and a number of other officials.
Sheikh Mohamed also attended Idex on Wednesday, where he met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and said that the UAE strongly opposes any attempt to displace the Palestinian people from Gaza.
The UAE leader said that rebuilding efforts in Gaza should be underpinned by a “comprehensive and lasting peace” based on a two-state solution. Sheikh Mohamed and Mr Rubio also reviewed ways to strengthen long-standing ties between the countries.
The UAE has awarded 40 defence contracts worth Dh23.72 billion ($6.45 billion) in the first four days of the conference, the biggest defence and security expo in the Middle East.
Domestic and international companies clinched 12 deals worth Dh3.77 billion on Thursday, carrying forward the momentum built over the previous three days, said officials at Tawazun Council, the defence and security regulator, and acquisitions authority in the UAE.
UAE Armed Forces awarded contracts worth Dh3.97 billion on day one, while on the second and third day, the value of deals was Dh5.8 billion and Dh10.18 billion, respectively.
Domestic companies were awarded seven deals worth Dh1.25 billion, on day four, while international contractors clinched five deals, valued at Dh2.51 billion.
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
MATCH INFO
Inter Milan 2 (Vecino 65', Barella 83')
Verona 1 (Verre 19' pen)
Padmaavat
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh
3.5/5
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
