ABU DHABI – Major General Saeed Rashid Al Shehhi, Commander of the UAE Land Forces, affirmed that the International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX), the Naval Defence & Maritime Security Exhibition (NAVDEX) 2023 embody the UAE’s concept of soft power, reflecting its distinguished status and the amount of progress it has made across all levels, especially in the defence and military industry field, which represents a source of pride for all the people of the UAE.

Under the patronage of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the 16th edition of IDEX 2023 and the 7th edition of NAVDEX 2023, will be held from 20th to 24th February 2023 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC).

‘’When looking at the 16th edition of the International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX), which will be held in February 2023, the world sees thirty years of success, leadership, exclusivity and excellence. IDEX is considered a prominent global event that enjoys local, regional and international attention as the world’s top defence and technology companies participate in the expo to display their latest defence products in the field of weapons, defence and artificial intelligence,'' said Major General Saeed Rashid Al Shehhi in a statement to Al Jundi Journal, the monthly military and cultural magazine issued by the Ministry of Defense, a head of the event.
‘’Since its inception in 1993, we have seen 15 editions of IDEX, which reflected our country's vision of becoming a leader in every field, especially the defence and armament fields, becoming one of the most important defence exhibitions anticipated by major international companies that aspire to display their products in the fields of industry, defence technology and artificial intelligence.''

Furthermore, he added, the 16th edition of IDEX and the 7th edition of NAVDEX feature unique organization, which reaffirms the UAE’s vision of reaching excellence in all fields, a vision built by the founding father of the UAE, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and the late Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and sponsored by President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to make the UAE a global hub for distinguished international exhibitions and conferences, reflecting its professional organizational ability and its leadership capabilities, as a country that will settle for nothing short of excellence by international standards.

‘’The participation of defence companies from different countries around the world has political, military and economic indications, as it confirms the distinguished position that the UAE has reached in hosting international defence exhibitions,'' he noted.