The future of military drones was unveiled in Abu Dhabi on Monday with home-grown companies displaying the latest technology.
On the first day of the Unmanned Systems Exhibition and Conference (Umex), manufacturers set out the latest in "swarming" aerial drones and unmanned fighting ground vehicles.
The Ministry of Defence signed three deals worth more than Dh650 million, the vast bulk of it with Edge-owned Global Aerospace Logistics, which repairs and overhauls aerial vehicles.
Abu Dhabi-based International Golden Group won a contract worth Dh10m for drone systems and South Africa’s Denel Dynamics won a deal worth Dh5.6m to provide support services for aircraft systems.
The solution is to bring both civil and defence under one centralised regulatory body that governs its use. I think if we reach that stage, we would be much safer
Col Staff Pilot Abdulnasir Al Hameedi,
Ministry of Defence
Although the exhibition at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre is largely devoted to the latest military applications, there was much discussion about the future of civilian drones.
Col Staff Pilot Abdulnasir Mohammed Saif Al Hameedi, from the Ministry of Defence, said effective regulation of drones was a top priority for the authorities.
As with many nations, the country wants to see drones utilised for e-commerce and retail, but risks remain. On Monday, the Ministry of Interior extended a ban imposed in January on all aerial drones, in addition to light aircraft flights, following the attempted Houthi attacks on Abu Dhabi in January and February.
“Due to its rapid emergence, it is important for us to start regulating these systems," Col Al Hameedi told The National.
"I think the solution is to bring both civil and defence under one centralised regulatory body that governs its use. I think if we reach that stage, we would be much safer.”
“We will see more emerging technologies but there will also be more challenges so we need to accelerate the process of regulating and controlling this growth.”
The exhibition is held in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence and has 25 local and international exhibitors.
Among the main exhibitors is Abu Dhabi-based Edge, a conglomerate of two dozen defence companies.
Halcon, which makes swarming drones and other aircraft for Edge, said the new technology had created incredible opportunities and threats as well.
“Hostile drones present security authorities with a serious challenge all over the world, and this requires a comprehensive and end-to-end approach from defence leaders," said Saeed Al Mansoori, chief executive of Halcon.
"Following a detailed and extensive roadmap, we are working to deliver a multilayered and scalable solution to meet the ever-evolving security challenges from a broad spectrum of threats."
He said the industry here was already seeing far greater emphasis placed defensive drone technology — and not just offensive technology.
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
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Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
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Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
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'Outclassed in Kuwait'
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Our Time Has Come
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Look north
BBC business reporters, like a new raft of government officials, are being removed from the national and international hub of London and surely the quality of their work must suffer.
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F1 The Movie
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Scoreline
Bournemouth 2
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- 20,000 new jobs for Emiratis over three years
- Dh300 million set aside to train 18,000 jobseekers in new skills
- Managerial jobs in government restricted to Emiratis
- Emiratis to get priority for 160 types of job in private sector
- Portion of VAT revenues will fund more graduate programmes
- 8,000 Emirati graduates to do 6-12 month replacements in public or private sector on a Dh10,000 monthly wage - 40 per cent of which will be paid by government
Titan Sports Academy:
Programmes: Judo, wrestling, kick-boxing, muay thai, taekwondo and various summer camps
Location: Inside Abu Dhabi City Golf Club, Al Mushrif, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Telephone: 971 50 220 0326
Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.
Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.
Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.
For more details, email openminds@cultures.ae or visit www.cultures.ae
Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
'Ashkal'
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THE SPECS
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Fuel consumption: 10.2 l/100km
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