By Cui Haipei in Abu Dhabi
Chinese arms makers are among world industry leaders who will display cutting-edge technologies and products at the International Defense Exhibition and Conference 2025, or IDEX 2025, which opened on Monday in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
The China pavilion is one of the largest national areas at the event.
Hundreds of weapons and military systems made by Chinese defense contractors, from advanced stealth combat aircraft, drones, air defense missile systems, armored vehicles and light weapons of all kinds, are being shown to global visitors. Due to the large size of the original exhibits, most are scaled models.
Biennially Idex is the Middle East's largest defense expo. This year, more than 150,000 visitors are expected to attend the 5-day showcase, where 1,560 exhibitors from more than 65 countries will be in attendance. Featuring 41 country pavilions, the event is spread across more than 181,000 square meters of exhibition space.
More than 3,300 products and technologies will be displayed at the event. The exhibitions will also host more than 156 startups, accounting for 10 percent of total exhibitors, organizers said.
According to a report by the National, the UAE and Saudi Arabia are developing their military production capabilities to reduce their reliance on foreign suppliers. The move is intended to diversify economies from oil, encourage domestic manufacturing and create more jobs.
Meanwhile, the world's top arms producers have recorded a significant rise in revenue on the backs of several conflicts and rising regional tension.
Revenue from the sales of arms and military services by the 100 largest companies in the industry reached $632 billion in 2023, an increase of 4.2 percent in 2022, according to a report released in December by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, or SIPRI.
"Arms revenue increases were seen in all regions, with particularly sharp rises among companies based in Russia and the Middle East," the report said.
Six of the top 100 arms companies were based in the Middle East, with their combined arms revenue growing by 18 percent to $19.6 billion, the data showed.
"The biggest Middle Eastern arms producers in the Top 100 saw their arms revenue reach unprecedented heights in 2023 and the growth looks set to continue," said Diego Lopes da Silva, senior researcher with the SIPRI Military Expenditure and Arms Production Programme.