04 Mar International Defence Industry, Technology and Security Conference draws industry leaders to Abu Dhabi
The International Defence Industry, Technology and Security Conference (IDITSC) has brought together industry leaders and experts at the event in Abu Dhabi.
The event is under under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice-President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and he appeared at the event to discuss several key topics related to the defence sector, defence technology security (DTS), and the growing use of advanced technology in defence operations.
The event drew the participation of 70 senior officials, experts and specialists from 30 countries to the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.
Addressing this first-of-its-kind event in in the Middle East, His Excellency Mohammed Al-Bowardi, Minister of State for Defence Affairs, Ministry of Defence, highlighted the importance of innovation within the sectors.
H.E. Al-Bowardi said: “The evolving nature of defence spending gives a clear indication that technological innovation has become a cornerstone and catalyst to military refurbishments globally. National defence, security and global standing are no longer defined exclusively by the number of physical assets in a country’s arsenal, but ever more critically, by its technological prowess and capabilities.”
He continued: “The transformative potential of advanced technologies, and their rapid pace of development clearly demonstrate that there is an urgent need to adopt a twenty-first century approach to security, which can be achieved by collaborating in a way that serves all stakeholders through rules-based technology governance, implementing regulatory standards and frameworks, setting strict export controls, enabling collaborative innovation, adopting enhanced interoperability, as well as through real-time analysis and information exchange among all concerned parties.”
The IDITSC was the first such conference to be held anywhere in the Middle East to focus exclusively on the expanding overlap between the defence sector and advanced technology innovation, convening leaders from the international defence industry, policymakers, leading technology researchers and academics, as well as international defence technology security (DTS) experts.