By Sidi Mohamed
DOHA: Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani opened the 5th edition of the Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference (Dimdex 2016), at the Qatar National Convention Center (QNCC) here yesterday.
The inaugural ceremony was attended by Defence Ministers and Chiefs of Staff from several countries, as well as a number of ambassadors accredited to the state, members of the Qatari Armed Forces and other dignitaries and guests.
In his speech on the occasion, Qatar Emiri Naval Staff Chief, Major-General (sea), Mohamed bin Nasser Al Mohannadi, said Dimdex reflects Qatar’s position as a regional hub for business, industry and modern technology, reports QNA.
Over the years, Dimdex has been witnessing an increase in the number of exhibitors and participants.
This year, the coveted event witnessed a significant rise in the number of exhibitors and participating countries, which has reached over 58, and it covers a larger area — 25, 000 square metres.
After the Navy chief’s speech a documentary film showing the latest equipment and technological developments in the field of maritime defence was screened. Following this, the Emir toured the exhibition where he was briefed about some of the latest technologies and equipment from the maritime field on display.
The exhibition covers a wide range of maritime defence sectors, including anti-piracy equipment, diving and underwater operations and vehicles; maritime domain awareness and technology and naval aviation. On the sidelines of the exhibition, which will continue until tomorrow, Qatar and France struck a deal worth €6.7bn (a little over QR27.53bn) for 24 Rafale fighter jets.
On behalf of Qatar, H E Dr Khalid bin Mohamed Al Attiyah, Minister of State for Defence Affairs, signed the agreement, while the French Defence Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, put his signature on behalf of his
country. Al Attiyah said in a press statement that the drone production project, carried by Qatar in collaboration with Germany, had reached advanced stage, and by next year one would see a Qatari drone in Doha skies. “The development of the Qatari Armed Forces will not stop, and Dimdex is an opportunity to get acquainted with the latest and modern techniques in the military field,” said Al Attiyah.
An exhibition like Dimdex provides an opportunity to see latest technologies in the field of defence, and “it is also a chance for us to enhance our defence with our partners to face any challenges”, he added.
Al Attiyah also expressed his happiness at the number of participating countries and the number of the exhibitors, and even the way they are organizing and displaying the equipment.
All this amply demonstrates that the importance of this event has been growing year after year since it was launched in 2008, he added.
The Chief of Staff the Qatari Armed Forces Major General Pilot Ghanem bin Shaheen Al Ghanem said that number of participating countries in Dimdex 20016 has increased. “So many defence ministers, chiefs of Staff and naval commanders from different countries attended it,” he said in a press statement.
Al Ghanem said the exhibition gives a chance to the participants and visitors to exchange their experiences and to see what new technology has come on the market about naval defence, and this is one of the reasons behind the huge success of Dimdex and its advancement over the years.
Dimdex is a leading and specialized naval defence and maritime security exhibition in the MENA region as it attracts the biggest defence and security companies to Qatar to showcase the latest technologies in the area of maritime security of the 21st century.
Among the activities on the first day of the event was a visiting warships’ official opening ceremony at Doha Port, in addition to a gala dinner for senior industry professionals and VIPs to meet and to do networking in an informal setting.
Over 58 countries from around the world are participating in the exhibition, and over 9000 maritime, security and defence industry –related visitors, in addition to 180 international and local companies, among them are 20 percent Qatari companies.
Among the biggest displays equipment in the exhibition are Troop carriers and Armoured vehicles shown by Turkish companies, in addition to Patriot (White Sands Missile Range) displays by the American company. Qatar is among the 13 countries in the world which owns Patriot missile. It has the missile since 2014, said an official at that pavilion.
The combat-proven Patriot system, upgraded with a suite of improvements is collectively known as post-deployment build 8 (PDB-8).
GCC Secretary-General Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani praised the event. He also praised the invitation to him by Dr Al Attiyah to attend the conference and exhibition, which is one of the most important international events in the field of maritime defence and security.
The Peninsula
