Bahrain International Defence Exhibition & Conference (BIDEC 2017) will be held under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and chaired by HH Brigadier-General Sheikh Nasser Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, and one of its key features will be the Middle East Military Alliances and Coalitions Conference (MEMAC) due to take place alongside the exhibition on 16-17 October at Bahrain International Exhibition & Convention Centre
During the two-day program, delegates will hear from the most influential regional and international military and diplomatic experts.
The Conference is being organized by Clarion Events in conjunction with the Bahrain Defence Force, and Bahrain Centre for Strategic, International and Energy Studies ‘DERASAT’. According to DERASAT’s Chairman, Dr. Sheikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, “MEMAC will examine the critical role that military alliances can play in the region’s collective defence and security.”
In discussing what delegates can anticipate to learn from the program, the Chairman elaborates: “The approach will highlight the nexus between politics, diplomacy and military action and recognize the complexity of securing agreement between multiple states, each having their own unique political strategies.”
The opening of MEMAC will take place on October 16 followed by the official Bahrain International Defence Exhibition and Conference dinner gala. In attendance will be senior military delegations, representatives of overseas defence departments and Bahrain-based diplomats.
Amongst the confirmed presenters is US General Wesley K. Clark (ret.) who will be co-chairing the conference. General Clark, a former commander of NATO forces, brings a wealth of experience and will be leading the discussions on joint operations, emerging defence technologies, alliances and policy formulation.
BIDEC will host a strategic conference series that will offer a forum for knowledge sharing and will address the biggest challenges in Bahrain and the wider region.
The Middle East Military Alliances and Coalitions (MEMAC) Conference will seek to address many of the challenges facing the region, and the wider global implications. The approach will be both political and diplomatic stressing the importance of military coalitions such as the role of NATO, UN Peacekeeping Operations, The Arabic Coalition in Yemen and the Islamic Military Alliance to Fight Terrorism, with support from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, and militarily with the region's military experts and coalition commanders discussing real threats and solutions, stressing the importance of military coalitions operations.
During the Conferences, speakers will examine the core issues of strategic importance within the defence industry through dedicated panels’ sessions.
