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

Two major and important events started in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, without many of the Israeli participants who would like to travel.

After a turbulent embrace last year, in which some 130,000 Israelis went to Dubai, the closure of Ben-Gurion Airport in January left much to be desired, as people fled major 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).

About 2,500 exhibitors from 85 countries came to Gulfood. Belarus, Egypt and many others had elegant and beautiful tents and tents. There were food workshops and discussions about how technology is changing the food industry and how to overcome the challenges during the pandemic. The United Arab Emirates ensured that the best health protocols were observed, according to reports. The exhibition took place at the Dubai World Trade Center.

Meanwhile, in Abu Dhabi, the big defense fair called IDEX opened on Sunday as well. Like the Gulfood, it will run for five days. Up to 40 Israeli companies are expected to go for the first time this year. They would have stands in an Israeli pavilion. ISDEF, part of the Avnon Group, organized and invested in the important Israeli presence.

But Israeli officials prevented Israel’s presence by refusing exemptions for Israel’s airport closure. This left companies confused and unsure of what to do. Some managed to find residents to manage their booths at the last minute.

The head of Israel’s mission to the United Arab Emirates, Eitan Na’eh, attended IDEX and posted a photo next to the Israeli stand at SIBAT, the Defense Ministry’s Directorate for International Defense Cooperation.

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

Many other companies were unable to attend. Some looked to the courts in Israel to see if they could go at the last minute. This is a blow to some of the smaller companies that hoped to showcase products and find new potential customers.

Military and defense companies, as well as homeland security companies, have generally not seen budgets decrease yet due to COVID-19, because when it comes to security and defense, acquisitions and long-term challenges continue.

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

This shows that, when it comes to all kinds of new defense technologies, there is a need for major defense exposures like IDEX. It seems that all other countries in the Middle East and neighboring regions have realized this, except Israel.

This is strange, considering that Israel is known as the starting 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, combat drones and loose ammunition. The Jewish state is also a pioneer in electro-optics, surveillance and artificial intelligence applications. Abu Dhabi and IDEX are a hub for important new defense clients, including India.

With Israel’s reduced presence at IDEX, a multitude of other interesting systems are on display. Highland Systems of the United Arab Emirates is exhibiting its multifunctional hybrid amphibious vehicle Storm, according to reports. India sent a Navy ship to the exhibition. IDEX has a naval component called NAVDEX. The Minks Wheel Tractor Plant also sent a delegation.

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

It would be convenient if Israeli companies could have a greater presence at the event. In the end, around 1,300 suppliers went to IDEX and it appears that most of the Israeli presence has failed. The next few days may see a change in that, but so far, the airport closure has kept Israelis away from the event.