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UAE gears up to become regional hub of global economy

The President, who made the statement to WAM on the occasion of the 9^th edition of the International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX 2009), which opens on Sunday at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) and will last until February 26, said the UAE had acquired over the years vast experience in the area of holding international defence exhibitions. “This has provided us with competent national leadership, administrators, technicians and human resources with high innovative skills and capabilities in the area of organising international exhibitions,” Shaikh Khalifa added.

He expressed great satisfaction on the qualitative and quantitative aspects of achievements of the IDEX, which has become one of the biggest and most popular defence exhibitions in the world. “The excellence and successes achieved by this exhibition in terms of its ability to attract major international companies in the areas of defence and security is a major achievement for our national will and for the strong determination of our men in the armed forces and those of our sons and daughters of the national youth who have displayed a high level of competence in selflessness, hard work and maximum skills in updating themselves with modern high-tech,” Shaikh Khalifa added.

He said since the first edition launched in 1993, IDEX has grown from success to success, thanks to the vision of the late UAE founder and father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who laid the foundation for a modern nation, which enjoys security and stability and boasts of enviable position among the comity of nations, a great leader who until his death remained committed to attending the biannual show and touring its various pavilions.

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