Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) signed on Wednesday a partnership agreement with Abu Dhabi Autonomous Systems Investments (ADASI), the region’s first reliable one-stop solutions provider within the autonomous systems industry.

The agreement mandates the participation of ADASI as a strategic partner in the 2018 editions of the Unmanned Systems Exhibition and Conference (UMEX) and Simulation Exhibition and Conference (SimTEX), set to run at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre from 25 to 27 February, 2018.

The partnership agreement was signed on the sidelines of the 13th edition of International Defence Exhibition & Conference (IDEX 2017) between Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, Group CEO of ADNEC and Ali Al Yafei, CEO of ADASI. Her Excellency Noura Mohammed Hilal Al Kaabi, the UAE Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs and Chairwoman of Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) and Homaid Al Shemmari, Chairman of ADASI, also attended the ceremony.

Noura Mohammed Hilal Al Kaabi, the UAE Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs and Chairwoman of ADNEC, said: "ADNEC is keen to build strategic partnerships with leading national companies to ensure the success of these landmark exhibitions. The agreement signed with ADASI today supports our ongoing efforts to attract major local and international players in the unmanned systems sector to participate in UMEX 2018 and SimTEX 2018. We are confident such synergies will further enhance Abu Dhabi’s leading status as the venue of choice for hosting specialised international events of the calibre of IDEX and UMEX."

Homaid Al Shemmari, Chairman of ADASI, said, "Our partnership agreement with ADNEC articulates our commitment to supporting specialised events that promote the UAE’s defence industry – especially the unmanned systems sector. Our participation in UMEX will enable us to showcase the latest technologies and innovations in the unmanned systems sector and help us build partnerships and explore new business opportunities. We are confident that events such as UMEX will significantly enhance the competitiveness of our defence industry and help boost ADASI’s capabilities in the unmanned systems sector."

Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, Group CEO of ADNEC, said: "We are delighted to enter this partnership agreement with one of the leading specialised, next generation technology companies in the defence industry. Such partnerships drive our efforts to achieve further growth in the number of international and local companies participating in the 2018 edition of UMEX and SimTEX".

Al Dhaheri added, "UMEX and SimTEX offer a unique platform to bring together the world’s prominent players in the unmanned systems sector under one roof to demonstrate their prowess in this niche industry. These technologies play a crucial role in ensuring the stability and prosperity of nations through acting as a catalyst for further development."

Ali Al Yafei, CEO of ADASI, said, "ADASI prioritises participating in specialised defence events such as UMEX that offer an important platform to showcase our cutting-edge technologies and solutions in this niche industry. We look forward to the upcoming editions of UMEX and SimTEX where we hope to sign important business deals and forge productive partnerships."

Organised by ADNEC in collaboration with the UAE Armed Forces, UMEX 2018 will highlight new, advanced unmanned technologies and demonstrate how they can be utilised by militaries across the GCC region, in addition to exploring their potential civilian uses.

UMEX and SimTEX attract international delegations and decision-makers from within the defence and aerospace industry, as well as senior officials from key government and private sectors.