UAE continues march towards progress: General Shaikh Mohammed

He affirmed that the UAE is moving ahead steadily to deliver more developmental achievements and gains at the hands of its citizen.

General Shaikh Mohammed visiting a stand at the Chinese pavilion at Idex 2015 on Thursday. — Wam

Abu Dhabi — General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, has affirmed that the UAE is moving ahead steadily to deliver more developmental achievements and gains at the hands of its citizens and powered by its ability, strong determination and confident vision thanks to the wise leadership of the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

General Shaikh Mohammed said that Shaikh Khalifa has instilled the principles of loyal patriotic work in all fields. Speaking during a tour on the final day of the five-day International Defence Exhibition and Conference (Idex), General Shaikh Mohammed underscored that the UAE has proven its leadership in organising and hosting international exhibitions and conferences, thus taking an advanced position globally.

He indicated that hosting Idex, which has a history of resounding success and evolution, underpins the supremacy of the UAE in the event management industry and the high trust the world has placed on the UAE’s ability, not only in hosting major and large international events, but also in its leadership when it comes to organisation, management and participation.

He expressed pride in the national cadres who participated at Idex and those who presented creative projects and ideas through national companies. He said that he had sensed the firm persistence of young Emiratis to prove their merit, pursue education, research and innovation, to develop their skills and interact with advanced expertise.

He urged the Emirati youth to maximise their efforts and work hard to build partnerships and integration between the public and private sectors so as to take national defence industries to advanced levels and enable them to sharpen their competitive edge in the international markets.

This goal, he stressed, would only be possible through the development of national human resources, equipping them with future sciences, knowledge and technologies, optimum use of energies, and the abilities of qualified national human resources along with the Emiratisation and adaptation of advanced technology to serve comprehensive development goals.

“Amidst the current regional and international turbulent circumstances and increasing challenges and risks, which include extremism, terrorism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and others, to the security and stability of states not only in the Middle East, but also in the broader world, the UAE, led by the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is keen to find and develop its own mechanisms and potential,s which will effectively enable it to preserve its security, stability and achievements, and tackle future challenges,” General Shaikh Mohammed said.

The 12th edition of the international show at Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Centre (Adnec) is the most strategically important tri-service defence exhibition in the world and is the only international defence exhibition and conference in the Mena region demonstrating the latest technology across land, sea and air sectors of defence.

General Shaikh Mohammed first visited the outdoor stand of the Naval Defence and Maritime Security Exhibition (Navdex) before he toured a number of stands including those of Britain, Spain, Switzerland, and China, where he viewed the latest defence technology, services and innovations in land, sea and air sectors.

Concluding his tour, General Shaikh Mohammed expressed appreciation for major defence companies from sisterly and friendly countries for showcasing advanced defence technology, products, researches, and ideas which allowed decision-makers and experts to view the latest products of the world’s defence industries.

These qualitative participations, he added, had contributed to the remarkable success of Idex.