IDEX and NAVDEX 2025 set new records with highest visitor numbers

Photo : Abu Dhabi Media Office

The International Defence Exhibition (IDEX) 2025 and Naval Defence and Maritime Security Exhibition (NAVDEX) 2025 finished with great success. These events took place at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi under the support of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE. This year, the events made new records in number of visitors, deals, and companies joining. More than 206,073 people from different countries came, which is 55.5% more than last time. The event was planned by ADNEC Group along with the UAE Ministry of Defence and Tawazun Council. Many important leaders, experts, and decision-makers praised the event.

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During the five-day event, Tawazun Council signed 55 new agreements worth AED 25.15 billion. This is 10% more than last time. The deals were made with both UAE and international companies, showing the UAE’s efforts to grow its defence industry and work with other countries. Major General Pilot Faris Khalaf Al Mazrouei, Chairman of the Organising Committee, said the big number of people joining shows UAE’s strong place in the world. He said the skills and hard work of Emirati people helped make Abu Dhabi an important place for defence experts. He thanked ADNEC Group, the Organising Committee, and all UAE organisations for making this event successful.

Major General Staff Mubarak Saeed Ghafan Al Jabri, Deputy Chairman of the Organising Committee, spoke about the success of UAE-based companies. These companies showed modern technology and new ideas in aviation, navy systems, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and space technology. He said that 68% of the contracts were given to UAE companies, while 32% went to companies from other countries. This proves that UAE’s defence industry is growing and becoming stronger.

Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, Managing Director and Group CEO of ADNEC Group, said IDEX and NAVDEX help UAE’s economy by supporting different businesses. He shared that the number of visitors reached 206,073, with 57% coming from outside the UAE. Visitors came from 167 countries, with China, Turkey, USA, India, France, Russia, South Korea, UK, Saudi Arabia, Germany, and Ukraine among the top countries. He also said this year’s event got very high satisfaction from exhibitors and visitors. A global research firm showed that exhibitors gave the event a satisfaction score of +34 (global average is +8), and visitors gave a score of +63 (global average is +29).

The International Defence Conference 2025, which was part of the exhibitions, had more than 1,800 people attending, which is 25% more than last time. The event had 55 military leaders, 40 CEOs, 48 ambassadors, and 65 military experts. They talked about important topics like global security, cyber threats, and space defence. This year’s event had many new things. IDEX showed 17 defence areas, including land, air, and robotic systems. It also presented new technology in radar, electronic defence, and personal security. NAVDEX 2025, in its eighth edition, had navy ships from eight countries, including UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Pakistan, Greece, South Korea, and India. These ships were displayed at ADNEC Marina and Zayed Port, showing the importance of naval defence.

This year, 1,565 companies from 65 countries joined, which is 16% more than last time. The exhibition area was 10% bigger, covering 181,501 square meters. For the first time, seven new countries—Qatar, Ethiopia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, and Cyprus—took part in IDEX. Also, Hall 14 was opened, hosting 341 new exhibitors. The event also had 156 start-ups, making up 10% of all exhibitors. These start-ups introduced new defence technology to industry leaders. More than 6,000 university students from UAE visited the event. They learned about the latest defence technology and attended workshops with experts. This helped them gain knowledge for future jobs in defence and security.

The exhibitions also helped in technology growth and innovation. IDEX Next Gen had more than 100 start-ups showing their ideas. The CBRNE Hub, introduced for the first time, focused on defence against chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive threats. It included 38 companies from 13 countries. Other new things included the IDEX Innovation Trail and IDEX Future Labs, which provided a platform for new defence technology.

IDEX and NAVDEX 2025 have set new records in size, participation, and deals. These events are helping UAE grow its defence industry, attract investors, and support young talent. With 70% of space already booked for the 2027 edition (25-29 January 2027), the future of IDEX and NAVDEX looks even bigger and better.

March 3, 2025 5:49 p.m. 372

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