DIMDEX 2016

DIMDEX 2016: “The Maritime Domain — The Centre of Gravity for the Regional Security Complex of the Arabian Gulf”

26 March 2016

The fifth edition of MENC provided high-profile sessions for GCC and international naval commanders to share their insights on the strategic challenges facing the security of regional waters.
Panellist sessions revolved around topics relating to ocean oil installations, particularly those in the Arabian Gulf, and ways to safeguard maritime transportation lines in the Arab Gulf and the Red Sea.

Key panellists included:

• HE Minister (Ret.), Admiral (Ret.) Giampaolo Di Paola, Italy, led a panel on ‘GCC Naval Integration and Cooperation to tackle unconventional threats’.
• Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba, Flag Officer Commanding in Chief, Western Naval Command, presented on ‘The Salience of the Maritime Domain in the Security Architecture of the Arabian Sea and adjoining areas – An Indian Navy Perspective’.
• Rear Admiral Oguz Karaman thematised ‘The Contribution of Counter Piracy Efforts in the Gulf of Aden and the Somalia Basin to Maritime Security in the Region’.
• Commodore Dr. M Ihsan Qadir SI(M), Director of National Centre for Maritime Policy Research (NCMPR), Bahria University Karachi, held an insightful discussion on ‘Unconventional Threats to the freedom of navigation and risks to regional and global trade’.
• Staff Brigadier (Sea) Tariq Khaled Al-Obeidli, Head of Education & Development, Qatar Emiri Naval Forces, led a panel on ‘Future Maritime Challenges and Required Naval Capabilities.’
• Dr James Boutilier, Special Advisor, N39 – International Engagement at Maritime Forces Pacific Headquarters, spoke on ‘Mines, Missiles, and Midgets – The role of technology & maritime capability in tackling unconventional threats in the Arabian Gulf’.
• Dr Nicolas Rigaud, Special Adviser to the Director General for International Relations and Strategy (DGRIS), French Ministry of Defence, discussed ‘The Implications of Climate Change for Maritime Security in the Indian Ocean and the Middle East’.
• Professor Sean Henseler, CDR, JAGC, USN (Ret.), Director of Operations for the Operational Level Programs Department at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, who spoke on ‘Critical Maritime Infrastructure Protection in the Gulf – Analyse, Assess and Respond’.