Doha, Qatar: The organising committee of the Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference (DIMDEX) held a diplomatic brief to introduce the 8th edition of the Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference (DIMDEX 2024) due to be held under the patronage of Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Organised and hosted by the Qatari Armed Forces, DIMDEX will be held from March 4 to 6 at the Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC).
During the diplomatic briefing held at Rixos Gulf Hotel Doha, the organising committee discussed the key logistic preparations with respect to the participation in DIMDEX 2024 in the presence of representatives of the diplomatic missions as well as military and commercial attaches in the embassies accredited to Qatar, alongside media professionals.
Chairman of DIMDEX Staff Brigadier (Sea) Abdulbaqi Saleh Al Ansari said since the launch of its first edition in 2008, DIMDEX has witnessed numerous milestones and achieved a constant progress primarily reflected in the obvious increase in the number of exhibitors, visitors, and official delegations, along with the scale of participation and the signed deals.
Alongside the exhibition, DIMDEX is set to organise the Middle East Naval Commanders Conference (MENC) in partnership with the Centre for Strategic Studies of the Qatari Armed Forces, Al Ansari noted, adding that there will be visits on the part of official delegations from high-ranking personalities, in addition to showcasing the visiting naval warships at Hamad port.
For his part, Director of the Strategic Studies Centre, Brig Gen (Pilot), Dr. Rashed Hamad Al Nuaimi said this year convention will bring together thinkers and military leaders during which the participants will explore the ways to counter the challenges facing today’s world and set the appropriate frameworks and solutions to handle them. He pointed out that the conference will discuss the latest issues pertaining to the global maritime security and its repercussions on the economic sectors and development tracks.
Head of the protocol and official delegations’ section 1st Lt. (Naval) Khaled Muhammad Al Siddiqi gave an explanation about the opportunities offered by this event to forge acquaintances and communication with the high-ranking personalities and official delegations that include ministers of defence, chiefs of staff, naval commanders, coast guard commanders and heads of defence companies who will participate in the event.
DIMDEX offers an opportunity to convene bilateral and multi-lateral meetings to bolster maritime ties among the participants and discuss striking commercial deals and potential contracts, Al Siddiqi pointed out.
For his part, head of the visiting warships and naval logistics affairs department, Major (Navy) Abdul Rahman Yousef Al Maliki, elaborated on the visiting warships that will dock in Hamad Port, highlighting the security and logistical measures enforced during the docking in Hamad Port. He also gave a brief on the sports tournament for the ships crews due on the last day of DIMDEX at Al Wakrah Sports Club, which includes numerous group games that aim to boost interaction and cooperation among a variety of ship crews.
For his part, deputy commander of the signal corps of the Qatari Armed Forces and chairman of the Project 401 committee for special operations, Brig Gen Ali Hareb Al Hareb elaborated on the details and functions of the new project that includes training centres of the special operations specialised in upgrading the capabilities of the special forces and counter-terrorism units in the world, noting the participation of Project 401 at DIMDEX 2024.
He pointed out that these centres have been designed to meet the requirements of a variety of security industries and offer training programmes that broadly leverage the cutting-edge technologies, firing live rounds and simulation through pursuing a technique that combines the traditional combat training with sophisticated technological tools.
The special operation training centres prepare the forces to meet the present requirements, in addition to modernising their skills in addressing future challenges.
The fifth edition of DIMDEX features growth as it covers over 35,000 square meters distributed over seven halls. The event is set to draw more than 20,000 visitors from defense and maritime security sectors throughout the three-day event to learn about the cutting-edge defence equipment, devices, and technology.
The event represents a platform to share knowledge and expertise as well as internalise new visions on a variety of issues related to defence and in-depth understanding of the latest geopolitical and security challenges.
