Abu Dhabi: The fifth edition of UMEX & SimTEX 2022, a unique event specialising in unmanned systems, simulation, training, AI, robotics, and multi-use systems for defence and civilian sectors, opened in Abu Dhabi on Monday (February 21).
The event is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs.
The event is organised by Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) in cooperation with the UAE Ministry of Defence.
During the first day of the exhibition, the Ministry of Defence signed three deals with local and international companies with a total value of more than AED 654.6 million, distributed among contracts for local companies with a total value of more than AED 649 million, and foreign contracts with a total value exceeding AED 5.597 million.
The deals included a deal with International Golden Group to purchase drone systems worth AED 10 million, and another deal with Global Aerospace Logistics to provide technical support, maintenance, repair and spare parts services, with a value of more than AED 639 million.
It also included a contract with Denel SOC Ltd, trading as Denel Dynamics in South Africa to provide technical support for aircraft systems with a total value of more than AED 5.597 million.
This year’s edition, which sees the participation of 134 companies from 26 countries, seven of them participating for the first time, has witnessed exceptional and unprecedented growth; the overall space for exhibitors has increased by 25 per cent, while new companies participating for the first time make up 36 per cent of total exhibitors.
The number of live shows held at Tilal Swaihan area, one of the main activities of the exhibitions, has doubled, with the number of advanced systems showcased in it increasing remarkably, as it is planned for these shows to unveil 22 new technologies and innovative systems that have never been seen before.
In a marked development that affirms ADNEC’s commitment to supporting entrepreneurship in vital sectors, the fifth edition of the exhibitions will witness the launch of the UMEX & SimTEX platform for start-ups specialising in this sector, which seeks to empower these start-ups and shed light on their innovations.
