I extend my sincere gratitude to our wise leadership for their sustained support, valuable guidance and pioneering efforts over the course of our preparations for IDEX. Abu Dhabi will be the centre of international attention once more as we welcome over 100,000 visitors and 1,235 exhibitors from all over the world.
IDEX has served as an ideal platform to foster partnerships and long-term relationships between governmental institutions,defence companies and armed forces. The event attracted a larger number of companies and visiting delegations which in-turn solidified Abu Dhabi the preferred destination for business tourism and directly and indirectly contributed to economic and sector development.
Today's conference provides a unique opportunity to further the development of defence capabilities. We will discuss the latest advancements in technology with a special focus on disruptive technology and their impact on our armed forces.
The International Defence Conference adds a new dimension to the disruptive innovations in the fields of defense and security. Australia looks forward to working with new partners in the area of defense systems due to the significant importnce we attach to developing defense application and sharing our knowledge with friendly countries.
We are proud with the overwhelming response and participation at the International Defence Conference 2017. It only moves to demonstrate the reach and prestige of IDEX 2017 as a growing hub for specialists and experts to discuss security and defence challenges facing the region and the world.
