DOHA, Qatar – Monday Tuesday March 24th25th, 2014 (to be printed on Tuesday March 25th, 2014): DIMDEX 2014, the 4th International Maritime Defence Exhibition, held under the patronage of His Highness, The Emir, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani officially opens today at Qatar National Convention Center. Open daily from March 25 to 27, DIMDEX 2014 is the largest Naval Maritime exhibition to be hosted in the Middle East and North Africa region to date. DIMDEX 2014 will include more than 175 exhibitors, over 80 delegations from 53 countries and 20 visiting warships from 12 countries; the exhibitors cover various domains in the Naval and Maritime defence including: Anti-piracy, Diving and Underwater Operations and Vehicles, Maritime Domain Awareness and Technology, Naval Aviation and much more. The exhibition also will showcase international warships and vessels of different classes, including frigates, corvettes, minesweeper as well as the Kilo Class Submarine, berthed at Doha Commercial Port. DIMDEX is an important event for Qatar, not only to promote the State of Qatar on an global stage, but for the hosting organization, Qatar Armed Forces, to gather the latest technologies onto a single platform, with this new capabilities and know-how, all visiting navies can better protect the seas and borders of its neighboring countries. DIMDEX is also an important event not only for countries requiring Naval support but also for non-coastal countries for trade and commerce as well as for non-traditional needs including piracy and illegal immigration. This year, the Naval and Maritime industry has also seen a very high demand for surface ships and growth in amphibious vessels all which are being showcased at DIMDEX. The exhibition and conference will also include the presence of the Qatar Naval Aviation and Amphibious Forces of Qatar which work in collaboration with Qatar Emiri Naval Forces. The official opening was preceded by the warship arrivals on the 24th of March followed by the pre-show press conference hosted by Staff Brig. (SEA) Abdulbaqi Al-Ansari, Deputy Chairman and Board Member, Tim Porter, Managing Director – Defence & Security, Clarion Events, Bob Nugent, Market Analyst and Media Support, AMI International, and James Souza, MENC Conference Director, Clarion Events, followed by a Q&A session with panelists where the outline of the DIMDEX programme was discussed at greater length. The 2014 exhibition and conference grew extensively from 12,000sqm in 2012 and now landscapes over 21,000sqm of exhibition space. Leading manufacturers of naval maritime security equipment will be showcasing their latest solutions for maritime defence and protection of critical off shore infrastructure at this event. Building on the success of the previous sessions, Qatar will again bring together the world’s leading commanders, industry leaders, key decision-makers and buyers to exchange experiences, expand networks and develop future strategies for the maritime industry. The highlight of DIMDEX 2014 includes the Middle East Naval Commanders Conference (MENC) on the 26th of March 2014 which will bring together the region’s naval commanders with their international counter-parts. These sessions will include topics such as Unmanned Systems, Helicopters, Protection of Offshore Critical Infrastructure, Maritime Border Security, C4ISR Technologies and Special Operations. DIMDEX has established itself as a leading Naval Defence and Maritime Security exhibition that creates a platform to gather senior representatives from Qatar’s armed forces as well as VIP delegations from the Middle East and around the world. -MORE- DIMDEX 2014 Officially Opens Today at QNCC /2 Editor’s Note: About DIMDEX Founded in 2008, DIMDEX is the only specialized maritime defence exhibition in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, bringing together companies representing the very latest technologies to meet the maritime security challenges of the 21st century. DIMDEX is a unique event addressing the growing need for sophisticated naval equipment to control Middle East and North African offshore waters.