TATV Defence Monthly: IDEX

Alan Peaford and Jay Menon share their favourite moments from the event and look at the development of the indigenous defence industry in the Middle East.

We look in detail at the new QX range of loitering UAVs made in the UAE and unveiled at the show.

This comes against a backdrop of some countries in the west, the USA, UK and EU talking about restrictions on sales of military equipment to Gulf states, while Saudi Arabia is aiming at achieving 50% of its defence spending within the Kingdom.

In the programme we hear from the Governor of Saudi Arabian defence regulator GAMI, HE Ahmad Al-Ohali about progress so far; we also meet Faisal Al-Bannai, the CEO of EDGE, the UAE’s defence conglomerate about any concerns of the international position.

Boeing’s director of global sales and marketing for international government services, Mark Ballew, explains why 75 years of cooperation will not suddenly disappear.

Israel was expected to be making a major impact on the IDEX event until a Covid-19 travel ban halted flights from Tel Aviv.

Nonetheless, Israeli businesses with bases in Spain, US and India were able to join the country’s first official diplomat in the UAE. Eitan Na'eh, the former ambassador to Turkey, and now the head of mission in Abu Dhabi, outlined his hopes for the Abraham Accord to open doors for cooperation

And as one show closes, the defence industry was flocking to the stand for the World Defense Show. With just one year before the doors open at the event at the Saudi Falcon Club outside Riyadh, the CEO of the WDS show, Shaun Ormrod outlines what’s planned at the purpose-built 28 sq.km site.