The UAE is participating at the Defense and Security Equipment International, DSEI, the leading international exhibition for the defense and security industry, which is being held from 12th to 15th September at the Exhibition and Conference Centre, ExCeL London, a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company, ADNEC, in the United Kingdom, UK.
The country’s participation is part of the framework of supporting UAE military industry and its access to promising international markets, as well as strengthening the overall presence of Emirati products and local industries in foreign markets, UAE national news agency WAM reported.
The Ministry of Defense, the General Command of the Armed Forces, ADNEC and the Nation Shield Magazine is participating in the UAE pavilion at the event, as well as several national organizations and companies that specialize in the areas of defense and security.
The exhibition is expecting over 35,000 visitors, who will view over 1,600 exhibitors in the five main areas of the defense and security industry - air forces, land forces, naval forces, security forces and joint forces.
“DSEI is one of the most important international exhibitions that specialize in defense and security equipment systems, as well as military technology and manufacturing, which is what we are here to see. Our participation in this international event supports our commitment to our national economic development, at the time when we are moving towards a post-oil economy,” said Major General Staff Pilot Ibrahim Nasser Mohammed Al Alawi (photo), Commander of the Air Force and Air Defense.
He added that the UAE military industry has achieved a qualitative leap in recent years, which has caught the attention of many countries that have expressed their desire to purchase military products made entirely in the UAE, some of which are totally made by Emiratis while others are the products of international strategic partnerships. He also explained that their work is part of the UAE Government’s efforts to reduce the country’s reliance on importing certain types of weapons.
Al Alawi stressed that the exhibition is a leading platform for strengthening partnerships and highlighting future developments in the military sector. "We, in the UAE, aspire to develop knowledge, advanced technologies and the latest military industrial practices," he added.
“We also aim to strengthen our current alliances with various entities in the military and security industry while forming new alliances to realize our growth strategy,” he further added.
Al Alawi further explained that the UAE has exceptional co-operative relationships with the leading countries in the area of military manufacturing, most notably the United States, the UK, France and Russia. It also has strong co-operation ties with other countries that are technologically advanced and have a good reputation in the field of military manufacturing, such as South Korea and India, he added.
“The UAE Armed Forces aims to benefit from modern technologies, to provide the maximum amount of technological protection to the country, such as other countries around the world,” he noted, while stressing that the UAE will be an important future manufacturer of military systems in the Middle East, due to the quality of its products, its competitive prices and the after-sales services offered by its companies.
