Innovation, alliances, joint ventures and partnerships is UK's focus for IDEX 2013

Philip Dunne MP, UK Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology, is leading the UK delegation. He is being supported by Air Chief Marshall Sir Stephen Dalton (Chief of Air Staff), Lieutenant General Simon Mayall (Defence Senior Advisor Middle East), Vice Admiral Philip Jones (Royal Navy Fleet Commander), and Richard Paniguian (Head of UK Trade & Investment Defence & Security Organisation).

Their presence highlights the important strategic Defence relationship between the UK and United Arab Emirates.

There will be around one hundred UK companies taking part in this year's Exhibition, demonstrating a range of world-leading Defence and security technologies. The UK's particular capability themes include: technology in support of current operations; land and maritime border security; maritime mine detection and countermeasures; and chemical, biological, radiation and nuclear defence.

Three ships from the Royal Navy are also at the exhibition; HMS Northumberland, a Type 23 Frigate with a Merlin helicopter on board, and HMS Shoreham and Ramsey, Mine Counter Measure Vessels, which will host senior UAE officials and overseas delegations.

The United Kingdom has supported IDEX since its inception, and UK companies have successfully delivered a wide-range of capabilities to friends and allies across the Gulf and Middle East. This year, the UK team will be working to identify new business partners in the UAE, and to develop closer acquisition links with Government and industrial partners in the Gulf region.

Mr Dunne said, "I am delighted to have the opportunity to return to the UAE. Our relationship with the UAE is very important, one we value very highly, as the visit last year of our Prime Minister and other senior Ministers have demonstrated."

"We are keen to deepen and broaden our strategic relationship, not only on defence and security, but across a range of sectors in support of the UAE's Vision 2020 Plan. We are encouraging UK companies to continue to drive for alliances, joint ventures and partnerships with companies in the UAE and elsewhere in the region to help realise their ambitions to increase and develop indigenous capability," he added.

The UK pavilion at NAVDEX will host a range of companies demonstrating a breadth of maritime products, services and training.

Richard Paniguian, Head of UK Trade and Investment Defence and Security Organisation, said, "We are here to continue to encourage UK and UAE companies to work together to identify areas of joint cooperation. The UK has a significant range of world-class products across the air, land, maritime, UAV and security sectors. IDEX and NAVDEX present an excellent opportunity for us to show the best that Britain has to offer, on which partnerships can be built."