ABU DHABI // The UAE signed 55 agreements worth more than Dh14billion at this year's largest ever International Defence Exhibition and Conference (Idex) in Abu Dhabi.
UAE defence firms received the lion's share of the contracts with 35 deals signed with the Armed Forces.
The five-day event attracted more than 80,000 visitors to the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre which saw 59 countries exhibiting, with about 500 ministers of defence and military chiefs from around the world in attendance.
Navdex, the naval and maritime security section of Idex, also grew in size from 60 companies two years ago to 80 this year.
Some of the most substantial local deals made by the UAE Armed Forces included the purchase of Dh829.8million of small arms ammunition and Dh720m of laser-guided rockets from Abu Dhabi based Tawazun, the principal sponsor of Idex.
The UAE oil firm, Adnoc, concluded a mammoth contract on day three of the conference worth Dh1.1bn to manage operating facilities and provide fuel for aircrafts and vehicles.
There were also significant deals done with the United States for unmanned Predator drones - in the shape of a Dh722m contract.
But by far the biggest single deal was for 750 mine-resistant, ambush-protected all-terrain vehicles worth Dh1.4bn, also built in the US.
In his closing address to the media, Idex and Navdex chairman Major General Obaid Al Ketbi, member of the Executive Council, said: "Idex and Navdex have given us the chance to create strategic partnerships in accordance with Abu Dhabi's vision for 2030 - to diversify the local economy.
"The conference fills the demand to help countries deal with the challenges they face. When it was launched in 1993, Idex involved 350 participating companies from 24 countries. Today we have succeeded in attracting more than 1,112 exhibiting companies from around the world."
UAE Armed Forces spokesman, Staff Pilot Colonel Tareq Al Bannay, said that the large purchases made by the Armed Forces were not part of an expansion but were "needed to improve capabilities and provide solutions tools".
Col Al Bannay expressed his satisfaction with the number of deals signed with local companies this year and stated that 147 Emirati defence companies took part.
"The global exchange and transfer of technology to the UAE is key and local companies are now able to provide suitable solutions for now and the future," said Col Al Bannay.
He added that although military "training with other nations is ongoing, it was not the purpose of Idex 2013 to strike up any new arrangements in this area".
Officials claimed the primary focus of the conference was aimed at signing contracts for hardware, and the transfer of technology, as opposed to political or diplomatic deals.
At Navdex, Abu Dhabi Ship Building launched its new Baynunah-class corvette and Etihad Ship Building launched the Abu Dhabi class Stealth Submarine Hunter, both made specifically for the UAE Navy.
Not all of the hardware on show this year was what may be considered as "conventional", with the world's first working jetpack, bulletproof kanduras and pink handguns all on display.
Daily live demonstrations featured a host of attractions for visitors, including aerial acrobatics and choreographed marine displays from a range of participating countries.
Preparations are already under way for Idex and Navdex 2015, with plans to expand the area's promenade and dredge a deeper canal that can allow for a greater number of larger ships to moor at the site.
Major General Obaid Al Ketbi concluded by saying that already "more than 50 per cent of the exhibition space has already been booked for Idex 2015".
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 258hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,550-4,000rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.1L/100km
Price: from Dh362,500
On sale: now
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
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SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20NOTHING%20PHONE%20(2)
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Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
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A MINECRAFT MOVIE
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Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Opening day UAE Premiership fixtures, Friday, September 22:
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Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
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Date founded: 04 November 2017
Founders: Abdulaziz AlBlooshi and Harsh Hirani
Based: Dubai, UAE
Number of employees: 10
Sector: AI, software
Cashflow: Dh2.5 Million
Funding stage: Series A
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
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Liverpool 4 (Salah 25', 48', 76', Cook 68' OG)
Man of the match: Andrew Robertson (Liverpool)
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Stars: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Catherine Keener, Bradley Whitford
Four stars
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1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
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Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
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This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The biog
Title: General Practitioner with a speciality in cardiology
Previous jobs: Worked in well-known hospitals Jaslok and Breach Candy in Mumbai, India
Education: Medical degree from the Government Medical College in Nagpur
How it all began: opened his first clinic in Ajman in 1993
Family: a 90-year-old mother, wife and two daughters
Remembers a time when medicines from India were purchased per kilo
