DIMDEX
2014, the 4th International Maritime Defence Exhibition, held under
the patronage of His Highness, The Emir, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani
officially opens today at Qatar National Convention Center. Open daily
from March 25 to 27, DIMDEX 2014 is the largest Naval Maritime exhibition
to be hosted in the Middle East and North Africa region to date.
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The pre-show
press conference hosted by Staff Brig. (SEA) Abdulbaqi Al-Ansari, Deputy
Chairman and Board Member, Tim Porter, Managing Director – Defence
& Security, Clarion Events, Bob Nugent, Market Analyst and Media
Support, AMI International, and James Souza, MENC Conference Director,
Clarion Events |
DIMDEX
2014 will include more than 175 exhibitors, over 80 delegations from
53 countries and 20 visiting warships from 12 countries; the exhibitors
cover various domains in the Naval and Maritime defence including: Anti-piracy,
Diving and Underwater Operations and Vehicles, Maritime Domain Awareness
and Technology, Naval Aviation and much more. The exhibition also will
showcase international warships and vessels of different classes, including
frigates, corvettes, minesweeper as well as the Kilo Class Submarine,
berthed at Doha Commercial Port.
DIMDEX is an important event for Qatar, not only to promote the State
of Qatar on an global stage, but for the hosting organization, Qatar
Armed Forces, to gather the latest technologies onto a single platform,
with this new capabilities and know-how, all visiting navies can better
protect the seas and borders of its neighboring countries. DIMDEX is
also an important event not only for countries requiring Naval support
but also for non-coastal countries for trade and commerce as well as
for non-traditional needs including piracy and illegal immigration. |
This
year, the Naval and Maritime industry has also seen a very high demand
for surface ships and growth in amphibious vessels all which are being
showcased at DIMDEX. The exhibition and conference will also include
the presence of the Qatar Naval Aviation and Amphibious Forces of Qatar
which work in collaboration with Qatar Emiri Naval Forces.
The official opening
was preceded by the warship arrivals on the 24th of March followed by
the pre-show press conference hosted by Staff Brig. (SEA) Abdulbaqi
Al-Ansari, Deputy Chairman and Board Member, Tim Porter, Managing Director
– Defence & Security, Clarion Events, Bob Nugent, Market Analyst
and Media Support, AMI International, and James Souza, MENC Conference
Director, Clarion Events, followed by a Q&A session with panelists
where the outline of the DIMDEX programme was discussed at greater length.
The 2014 exhibition and conference grew extensively from 12,000sqm in
2012 and now landscapes over 21,000sqm of exhibition space. Leading
manufacturers of naval maritime security equipment will be showcasing
their latest solutions for maritime defence and protection of critical
off shore infrastructure at this event. Building on the success of the
previous sessions, Qatar will again bring together the world’s
leading commanders, industry leaders, key decision-makers and buyers
to exchange experiences, expand networks and develop future strategies
for the maritime industry.
The highlight of DIMDEX 2014 includes the Middle East Naval Commanders
Conference (MENC) on the 26th of March 2014 which will bring together
the region’s naval commanders with their international counter-parts.
These sessions will include topics such as Unmanned Systems, Helicopters,
Protection of Offshore Critical Infrastructure, Maritime Border Security,
C4ISR Technologies and Special Operations.
DIMDEX has established itself as a leading Naval Defence and Maritime
Security exhibition that creates a platform to gather senior representatives
from Qatar’s armed forces as well as VIP delegations from the
Middle East and around the world. |
