Middle Eastern Militaries Meet to Discuss Regional Air Defence Strategies

As demand for air defence grows in the region, Middle Eastern delegations and senior regional officials will gather at the Air Power Middle East Summit to discuss military aerospace operations.

The Royal Bahraini Air Force, the Royal Saudi Air Force, the Egypt Council for Foreign Affairs and the Royal Air force of Oman will gather at the Air Power Middle East summit in Muscat to examine air defence strategies.

The summit, which will be opened by Air Commodore Maktoum bin Salim al-Mazroi of the Royal Oman Air Force, will take place on 28^th-29^th April and bring together the key decision makers in the field to address the top military aviation challenges and growth opportunities in the region.

Senior members of the delegations include the Director of Operations, Royal Air Force of Oman, the Fighter Wing Commander and Director of Training, Royal Bahraini Air Force, and three Royal Saudi Air Force Brigadier Generals. In total there will be  six serving Flag Officers coming from RAFO, the RSAF, the RBAF, plus Flag Officers from the RAF, Italian Air Force and French Air Force.

The Middle East is one of the greatest investors in military aviation and security companies are benefiting from working with these delegations. According to a recent report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the United Arab Emirates is the fourth biggest arms buyer in the world, focusing the majority of their spending on air defence systems and aircraft. From 2004 to 2008, UAE was the third largest importer of arms, accounting for 6% of all purchases and in the past four years, the United Arab Emirates have purchased 72 F-16 fighter planes.

As an example of this strong demand, several defence contractors have recently landed lucrative deals. At the beginning of this year, Rolls-Royce and BAE Systems secured a contract with the Royal Saudi Air Force to supply technical support for their EJ200 engines. In addition, Boeing has landed a deal with UAE to provide six C-17 Globemaster III advanced airlifters.   

Getting a place at the summit is a golden ticket to understanding the needs and challenges that the Middle East faces. Leading defence companies Saab, Cubic, Thales, Eurocopter and Simpler Consulting, sponsors of the event, will be giving presentations to the key regional figures and will have the opportunity to have face-to-face meetings with senior personnel.

With the demand for air power flying strong in the Middle East, it is all the more vital that defence contractors pay attention to the developments in the region. 

A wide-range of topics will be discussed at the event that will include the Gulf Co-Operation Council’s relationship with Iran, the future of air and space operations and the role of F-51Es in the region. The Air Power Middle East Summit will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Muscat Oman on 28^th-29^th April.  For further details, please visit: http://www.meairpower.com/

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