IDEX 2019 : Opening of the 25th edition of IDEX.

Today, on February 17, IDEX opened its doors to people related to Defense & Security, for its 25th edition. 1,310 exhibitors will be present at IDEX and 113 will be present at NAVDEX.

IDEX exhibition (Picture source : Army Recognition)

“Over the past 25 years, the number of exhibitors frequenting IDEX has increased by 400 per cent, with the number of participating countries rising by 250 per cent over the same period. Visitor footfall rose by 500 per cent, while the show floor dedicated for the event has gone up by 900 per cent compared to the first edition in 1993.”

In 2019, the total area dedicated for IDEX and NAVDEX will increase by 26 per cent to 168,000 square metres compared to 133,000 square metres in 2017. In 2019, the number of exhibitors for IDEX and NAVDEX will increase by six per cent to 1,310 compared to the 1,235 companies in the previous edition. International companies will account for 85 per cent of the total number of companies, while the number of local enterprises exhibiting will reach 170, representing 15 per cent of the exhibitors.

Moreover, the number of participating countries will also increase by nine per cent or 62 countries compared with 57 in 2017. Meanwhile, the 2019 edition will host 33 national pavilions or 18 per cent increase as compared to 28 in the previous edition.

In addition to that, the exhibiting space dedicated for NAVDEX 2019 will increase by 52 per cent to 45,000 square metres, compared with 30,000 square metres in 2017. The number of exhibitors at NAVDEX will increase to 113 or 14 per cent, as against 99 in the previous year. The number of participating military units for NAVDEX is expected to increase by 66 per cent to 20 units from 15 countries.

Al Dhaheri noted: “ADNEC's success in attracting top tier international and specialised companies and the growth witnessed by IDEX and NAVDEX are largely credited to the unwavering support extended by the wise UAE leadership. Other enabling factors include the UAE’s status regionally and globally, the modern and advanced infrastructure in Abu Dhabi, cooperation between the General Headquarters (GHQ) of the UAE Armed Forces and public and private companies, capable national cadres, successful promotion of both events internationally, and last but not the least, the high international standards of the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.”

To conclude, Al Dhaheri, extended his appreciation to the General Headquarters (GHQ) of the UAE Armed Forces, and UAE Ministry of Defence for their support and collaboration in organising IDEX, NAVDEX, and IDC.

IDEX and NAVDEX will feature several new components in the upcoming edition, including an IDEX museum that details and celebrates the exhibition’s 25-year journey. For the first time, IDC will be combined with the Abu Dhabi International Offset Conference (ADIOC) with the aim of creating a comprehensive global forum covering all defence and security issues, as well as relevant innovations of the 4IR under the theme -- ‘Shaping Our Shared Future: Strengthening Our Security and Prosperity through Innovation’. The 2019 edition will also include a dedicated wing for artificial intelligence, focusing on advanced and smart systems participating at the exhibition.

As part of its agenda, the conference will host interactive discussions on four key focus areas: offset, security and stability, knowledge economy, and innovation and artificial intelligence. The event will also seek to strengthen the leading status of the UAE as a global hub for such specialised conferences.