UAE’s International Defence Exhibition and Conference to conclude
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) concludes its five-day International Defence Exhibition and Conference today.
The conference brought together defence experts and delegates from over 80 countries to support the country’s defence sector and to form novel alliances among key international companies such as Boeing, Raytheon Technologies, Lockheed Martin and France’s Thales. The UAE Armed Forces recently signed a $1.36 billion contract with regional and international companies.
To counter regional threats, in particular from rival Iran, the oil-rich Gulf nation is looking to strengthen its own defence capabilities by developing the most sophisticated weapons in the region.
The UAE, with a population of just over nine million, spent $19.8 billion on defence in 2020 and may plan to be a regional defence supplier in the short-run. Recent attacks on UAE’s coast have propelled the country to lessen its arms reliance on the West and advance its own military capacity in order to have better military oversight. Although the UAE’s military spending comes second to neighbouring Saudi Arabia, its focus on defence research and training may grant Abu Dhabi a new regional authority against Tehran and even possibly Riyadh.
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