Defense Expo IDEX and Gulfood open in UAE, but without Israelis

Two big, important events began in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday without many Israeli attendees would have liked to travel.

After a flash hug last year, in which some 130,000 Israelis flew to Dubai, the closure of Ben-Gurion Airport in January left a lot to be desired as people skipped important events in the United Arab Emirates .

Other countries, such as India, have invested significant resources in both Gulfood and the International Defense Exhibition & Conference (IDEX).

Some 2,500 exhibitors from 85 countries came to Gulfood. Belarus, Egypt and many more had stylish and pretty stalls and stalls. Food workshops and discussions were held on how technology is changing the food industry and how to overcome the challenges of the pandemic. The UAE has ensured that the best health protocols are followed, according to reports. The exhibition took place at the Dubai World Trade Center.

Meanwhile, in Abu Dhabi, the large defense fair called IDEX also opened on Sunday. Like Gulfood, it will last five days. Up to 40 Israeli companies were expected to leave for the first time this year. They were going to have stalls in an Israeli pavilion. ISDEF, part of the Avnon group, organized and invested in the large Israeli presence.

But the Israeli authorities prevented the arrival of Israel by denying exemptions for the closure of Israel’s airport. This left businesses confused and unsure of what to do. Some were able to find premises to manage their stands at the last minute.

Israel’s Head of Mission to the United Arab Emirates, Eitan Na’eh, attended IDEX and posted a photo next to the Israeli booth for SIBAT, the defense ministry’s directorate of international defense. defense.

For example, IAI said it has a booth at IDEX and visitors can log in virtually. Rafael Advanced Defense Systems also has an impressive booth which is managed by a Spanish subsidiary called PAP.

Many other companies were unable to attend. Some have taken to Israeli courts to see if they could go at the last minute. It’s a blow to some of the small businesses hoping to showcase products and meet new potential customers.

Military and defense companies, as well as homeland security companies, have generally not yet seen their budgets shrink due to COVID-19, as in security and defense, long-term purchases and challenges persist. .

For example, recent drone threats against Saudi Arabia and rocket attacks against US forces in Iraq underscore the importance of air defense. Israel unveiled work on the Arrow-4 last week.

This shows that when it comes to all kinds of new defense technology, there is a need for large defense exhibitions like IDEX. It seems that every other country in the Middle East and neighboring regions has realized this, except Israel.

This is strange, considering that Israel is known as the Start-Up Nation and has some of the largest defense companies in the world, including IAI, Rafael, and Elbit Systems.

Israel is a pioneer in a number of technologies, including air defense, combating drones and ammunition lying around. The Jewish state is also a pioneer in applications of electro-optics, surveillance, and artificial intelligence. Abu Dhabi and IDEX are a hub for major new defense clients, including India.

With Israel’s presence reduced to IDEX, a plethora of other interesting systems are exposed. UAE Highland Systems are reportedly showing off their Storm amphibious hybrid multipurpose vehicle. India sent a navy vessel to the exhibition. IDEX has a naval component named NAVDEX. Minks Wheel Tractor Plant also sent a delegation.

General Atomics is also at IDEX, showcasing new technology for drones. “Unmanned aerial systems are only as useful as the sensor they can carry,” the company says. Israel has a plethora of such sensors and drones, including the Aeronautics Orbiter line, IAI’s Heron, and Elbit’s Hermes.

It would have been up to Israeli companies to have been able to have a greater presence at the event. In the end, some 1,300 vendors made it to IDEX, and it appears that most Israeli representatives did not. The coming days might see a change in that, but so far the airport closure has prevented Israelis from the event.