Doha: Qatar and France signed a deal worth €6.7 billion for 24 Rafale fighter jets made by Rafale International (Dassault Aviation) on the opening day of DIMDEX 2016.
Minister of State for Defence Affairs H E Dr Khalid bin Mohamed Al Attiyah and French Minister of Defence Jean-Yves Le Drian signed the contract at QNCC today.
Among the organised activities for the first day was a visiting warships official opening ceremony at Doha Commercial Port, in addition to a gala dinner for senior industry professionals and VIPs to meet and network in an informal setting.
The Middle East Naval Commanders Conference (MENC) takes places from Wednesday March 30 at the QNCC theatre under auspices of H E Dr Khalid Bin Mohamed Al Attiyah Minister of State for Defence Affairs, and features military and academic experts to discuss the most relevant issues currently facing maritime security in region under the theme: The Maritime Domain – The Centre of Gravity for the Regional Security Complex of the Arabian Gulf.
DIMDEX is a specialised naval defence and maritime security exhibition in the MENA region and attracts the biggest defence and security companies to Qatar to showcase the latest technologies in response to the maritime security challenges of the 21st Century.
The exhibition covers a wide range of maritime defence sectors including anti-piracy; diving and underwater operations and vehicles; maritime domain awareness and technology; and naval aviation.
DIMDEX 2016 is recognised as the largest edition since launch in 2008 due to the increase in the number of exhibitors, VIP delegations, the participation of new countries, and the significant increase in exhibition space reaching 25,000 m2.
The three-day event continues until March 31 and is both organised and hosted by the Qatar Armed Forces and retains the same successful multi-dimensional format as with previous editions, being the exhibition, participation of official VIP delegations, visiting warships and the high-level MENC.
The Peninsula
