Maritime defence expo gets under way today

AT least 16 warships from nine countries have arrived in Doha as part of the 1st Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference, (DIMDEX 2008), getting under way today at Doha International Exhibition Center.
The exhibition, the first of its kind to be hosted in Qatar, will feature more than 80 manufacturers in the warship industry, from 14 countries.
HH the Heir Apparent Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani will inaugurate the three-day event.
Giving this information yesterday, the organisers, represented by Qatar Emiri Naval Forces (QENF) and Qatar MICE Development Institute (QMDI), said the exhibition would feature at least 58 VIP delegations from 42 countries, including several world renowned naval experts.
Head of Maritime Studies Programme at the Royal United Services Institute for Defence (RUSI), Lee Willet, said the conference to be held alongside the exhibition was as important as the event itself for the participants as well as those interested in understanding the latest developments in the warships arena.
Working in the military sciences department at the UK’s RUSI, Willet has held several responsibilities related to military capability programmes and their research.
The inaugural exhibition will serve the strategic maritime security needs of the Middle East and North African (Mena) region, said Roger Marriott, managing director of Dimdex 2008. He said the event was modelled after a major exhibition like Imdex Asia series in Singapore. National pavilions from France, Germany, UK, USA and Sweden would be among the exhibitors, he added.
“The Mena region is one of the most strategically important maritime regions in the world and, as a result, one of the fastest growing marketplaces for naval procurements,” he said.
Naval expenditure over the next 20 years is forecast to reach $23bn, with some 300 new ships expected to be manufactured, together with associated naval systems and helicopters over the period, added Mariott.
Speaking later, Staff Colonel of QENF Khalid Yehya Alkhuzaei said that in the Mena region, there was no dedicated forum for the promotion of maritime systems and equipment. “As a result, our leaders and policymakers have decided to stage a major event in Doha, catering to the needs of the region,” he said.
QENF Staff Brigadier Mohamed N al-Mohannadi will host the VIP delegations at the event.
The conference will feature presentations from senior officers and policy experts on the theme ‘Challenges, capabilities and co-operation in maritime security’.
The programme includes 12 parallel sessions involving a total of 46 international speakers.
Bob Nugent, a senior naval market consultant was among those present at the briefing. Until recently, Nugent served as director of command and control programmes for the US Navy’s acquisition staff at the Pentagon. Also in attendance was Marc Holloram, an official of Dimdex 2008.
High ranking naval officials from Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brazil, Bulgaria, Egypt, Eritrea, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Arab League, Libya, Malaysia, Mauritania, Morocco, The Netherlands, Oman, Pakistan, The Philippines, Poland, Qatar, South Korea, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, UK, USA and Yemen will participate in the event.

Source: gulf-times.com