Dimdex 2022: 200 companies from 20 countries to attend

Under the patronage of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and hosted and organised by the Qatar Armed Forces, the Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference (Dimdex) 2022 will take place from March 21 to 23 at Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC) under the theme 'Connecting the World's Maritime Defence and Security Community'.More than 200 companies from nearly 20 countries will participate in the biennial event, showcasing their products and capabilities, the Organising Committee has said.This was announced during a diplomat briefing session at Sharq Village & Spa yesterday, during which the Organising Committee briefed representatives of diplomatic missions in the country, ambassadors, defence and commercial attaches, on the preparations for Dimdex 2022, Qatar News Agency reported. Addressing the session, chairman of Dimdex Staff Brigadier (Sea) Abdulbaqi S al-Ansari, said it was an honour to receive the ambassadors, defence and commercial attachés, and representatives from the military at the briefing. “The unstinting support we received strengthens our determination to organise an edition that will be bigger and better than previous editions. We can feel the anticipation building up as we enter the last leg of preparations for Dimdex 2022. The Organising Committee will leave nothing to chance and will work hard to ensure a smooth, safe and successful edition,” he said, adding that there will be a significant growth in the exhibition space, spanning over 35,000sqm.The Middle East Naval Commanders Conference (MENC), which will take place on the second day of the three-day event, is one of the most popular features of Dimdex. At the briefing, participants were provided details of the event, including the conference theme - 'Resilience in the Maritime Domain – Confronting Asymmetric Threats' - and information about the keynote speakers. At the conference, a glittering panel that will include experts from academia and leading industry figures will discuss a variety of topical issues in the maritime domain and attempt to find globally applicable solutions to what is one of the most daunting challenges the domain faces - asymmetric threats.Middle East Naval Commanders Conference director Dr Andreas Krieg said the MENC is an integral part of Dimdex 2022 and brings together a diverse group of world-leading experts in maritime security to better understand how to develop resilience in the maritime domain. “As the centre of gravity for security in the Gulf, it is important that the various challenges to actors in the maritime domain are well understood and where possible mitigated. MENC 2022 will address these challenges in an effort to achieve a higher degree of resilience of critical maritime infrastructure and waterways around the Arabian Gulf and connected waterways," he added.During the event, exhibitors will showcase their products and capabilities while in addition to networking with key decision makers from Qatar and other countries. Through successive editions, Dimdex has earned a reputation for facilitating major commercial success and providing unparalleled opportunities for knowledge sharing at the highest levels of industry and government. The event has played a major role not only in the growth of Qatar’s military capabilities but also in speeding up the growth of the country’s domestic defence industry. Agreements worth over $32bn have been signed since the inaugural edition. In the 2018 edition alone, 35 partnerships were announced, with 27 agreements signed at the event itself, the organisers said in a statement.More than 13,000 visitors and participants from 69 countries attended the sixth edition of Dimdex. The upcoming edition, which will have more than 200 companies from across the globe showcasing the latest innovations in the maritime and naval sphere, including anti-piracy systems, C5iSR systems, AI software, electronic warfare and intelligence, and autonomous systems, is expected to see the largest ever turnout of visitors.An overview of the progress Dimdex has achieved over the past editions was presented to the diplomats and other high-level delegates in attendance at the briefing session. The Dimdex Organising Committee also shared details on various aspects and attractions of the upcoming edition: the main exhibition where new and futuristic technologies will be on display, the Middle East Naval Commanders Conference, the Visiting Warships Display at Hamad Port, as well as the opportunity to network with VIPs and senior defence decision-makers comprising Ministers of Defence, Chiefs of Staff, Chiefs of Navies, Coastguard Commanders, and heads of defence industries who will be attending Dimdex 2022.Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) officials and Qatar Armed Forces Medical Services representatives provided details of the medical preparedness plan in place for the event, including Covid-19 health and safety protocols. First-Lieutenant Abdulrahman al-Nassar talked about the travel policy and health protocol while First-Lieutenant (sea) Khalifa Asheer detailed the final preparations to welcome the guests. Details on the hospitality and services for official VIP delegations were also shared with the diplomats, along with insights on the logistics and security for visiting warships that will be hosted at Hamad Port. Dimdex 2022 visitors will get a chance to get up close with an array of warships from navies around the world. While Dimdex 2018 featured nine warships from seven countries, the organising committee expects to have 15-20 warships in the upcoming edition. The crew of the visiting warships will be welcomed to discover Doha and the activities associated with the event, including a crew sports tournament that will be held to promote camaraderie between visiting crews.