Mohammed, Gen. Mohamed open Idex

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and General Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, on Sunday inaugurated the 12th edition of the International Defence Exhibition and Conference (Idex 2015).

The event was attended by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Crown Princes, Sheikhs and state guests,  President Omar Hassan Ahmad Al Bashir of the Republic of Sudan and heads of delegations of brotherly and friendly countries.

The opening ceremony featured a display from the National Guard of Belarus and a traditional military performance from South Korea. A grand spectacle featuring a fictitious plot of friendly forces combatting terrorists concluded the opening ceremony.

Following the ceremony, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid toured various Idex pavilions featuring more than 1,000 exhibitors, displaying the latest military equipment and various land, air and sea defence systems.

The opening was attended by Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman, Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah, Sheikh Rashid bin Saud bin Rashid Al Mu'alla, Crown Prince of Umm Al Qaiwain, Sheikh Tahnoun bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Ruler’s Representative in the Eastern Region, Sheikh Surour bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, National Security Advisor and Deputy Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council, Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation, Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior,. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Minister,. Sheikh Khalid bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Board of Zayed Higher Organisation for Humanitarian Care and Special Needs, along with a number of sheikhs and senior officials.

Idex 2015 gets underway with spectacular opening ceremony

The official grand opening ceremony of the International Defence Exhibition (Idex) provided a spectacular start to the 12th edition of the exhibition at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. The impressive and entertaining show blended music, culture and a demonstration of military capabilities that delighted the assembled guests.

Attended by a large number of distinguished guests including His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai; General Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces; and Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir, the grand opening ceremony provided a fitting commencement for one of the world's most strategically important defence exhibitions. This year’s edition of Idex features more than 160 international delegations.

The ceremony opened with a performance from the Military Marching Band of the UAE. They strode into the middle of the arena to a mesmerising beat from pipes and drums. This was followed by a multi-media presentation detailing the history of Idex, before two more military displays: The Honour Guard of the Army of Belarus demonstrated a rifle drill a demonstration of marching set to music which showcased incredible precision timing. They were followed by a traditional music display from the Military Marching Band of the Republic of Korea.

The show continued with a cultural performance celebrating the traditions and culture of the UAE. Traditional Ayalla and Al Razfah dancing;  Al Hajana camel men songs, falcon displays, Al Khayyala horse work and Al Taghrouda songs, as well the pearl divers songs Al Naham, and traditional songs by children.

A film followed bringing to life some of the excitement around the show with testimonials for participants and there were individual thanks for the 55 countries participating in this edition of Idex, including six countries participating for the first time.

Excitement followed in the second half of the show, with a live enactment of a fictional scenario in which an elite group of friendly forces liberated a port from terrorist control. The enactment featured air drops, low passing jet fly-bys, helicopter and naval support, gun battles and fast moving pursuits involving tanks and armoured cars, culminating in the successful liberation of the port. A dramatic fly by from the Al Forsan, the aerobatics demonstration team of the UAE Air Force, spiralling above the grandstand drawing the colours of the UAE national flag provided the perfect fitting finale to a spectacular show.

Mohammed tours Idex 2015

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum,  Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai,  toured the 2015 International Defence Exhibition and Conference (Idex) on Sunday, where he was briefed on the world's latest defence technologies and solutions showcased by exhibitors of 55 countries participating in the 12th edition of Idex.

Sheikh Mohammed commenced his tour from the UAE pavilions, where he inspected Tawazun and Mubadala’s stands and was updated on the achievements of national companies, as well as their latest developments and innovations.

Sheikh Mohammed then visited the French stand and spoke to the French Minister of Defence about the latest defence products showcased at Idex. The two officials also explored the UAE-French bilateral relations in military and defence.
He also stopped at Slovakia stand and met with the Defence Minister of Slovakia who briefed Sheikh Mohammed on the latest technology in air, sea and land defence systems, showcased for the first time in the Middle East.

Sheikh Mohammed also visited a number of stands of exhibitors from China and US, where he was briefed on the militarized off-road vehicles presented by Polaris Defence. He also inspected the stand of Emirates Advanced Research and Technology Holding (Earth) and was familiarised with their projects in defence and security.

Proceeding to Sudan and Saudi Arabia stands, Sheikh Mohammed was briefed on their latest achievements and innovations in the defence industry.

Sheikh Mohammed expressed satisfaction over the large turnout, namely the national companies’ participants at Idex 2015 which is known as the most strategically important tri-service defence exhibition in the world, adding that “'Idex provides experts and other defence professionals with an excellent platform to view the latest innovative products.

He praised the exhibition’s organisers for their detailed planning of the event, which has been held at the capital Abu Dhabi for the last 20 years.

Mohammed bin Rashid, Mohamed bin Zayed receive Sudan President

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and General Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, on Sunday received President Omar Hassan Ahmad Al Bashir of the Republic of Sudan. Also present was Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai.

Their Highnesses and the Sudanese President, who is taking part in the International Defence Exhibition and Conference (Idex 2015) exchanged talks on bilateral relations between the two countries and Idex's role in establishing the foundations of peace and security in the region, as well as exchanging experiences between military experts from the sisterly and friendly countries and the UAE.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, and Gen. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, in the presence of the Crown Prince of Dubai, also met heads of delegations of sisterly and friendly countries participating in Idex, which began on Sunday at Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Centre.

Their Highnesses welcomed the UAE's guests, wishing them a pleasant stay and success in their participation in the events of Idex.

The meetings were attended Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman, Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah, Sheikh Rashid bin Saud bin Rashid Al Mu'alla, Crown Prince of Umm Al Qaiwain, Sheikh Tahnoun bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Ruler’s Representative in the Eastern Region, Sheikh Surour bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, National Security Advisor and Deputy Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council, Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation, Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Minister, Sheikh Khalid bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Board of Zayed Higher Organisation for Humanitarian Care and Special Needs, along with a number of sheikhs and senior officials.




 

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