Qatar’s Emir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani patronized the opening of the 5th Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference (DIMDEX 2016) at Qatar National Convention Center on Tuesday morning.

The opening was attended by a number of Defense Ministers and Chiefs of Staff of friendly countries as well as a number of Ambassadors accredited to the state, members of the Qatari Armed Forces and guests, Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported.

In his speech on the occasion, Qatar Emiri Naval Staff Chief Major General (sea) Mohammed bin Nasser Al Mohannadi said that DIMDEX reflects Qatar's position as a regional hub for business, industry and modern technology.

DIMDEX has enhanced its strong position and reached a high place over the past few years, HE Major General Al Mohannadi said.

He added that since its inception in 2008 until its current 5th edition, DIMDEX has not only seen an increase in the total area of the exhibition, which occupied 25,000 square meters, but also an increase in the number of exhibitors and participating countries, reaching more than 58 countries.

Following the speech, a documentary film about the latest equipment and technological developments in the field of maritime defense was projected.

After that, HH the Emir toured the exhibition where he was briefed on the latest technologies and equipment in the maritime field displayed by exhibiting companies.