Russian firms participate at Defence Expo in Abu Dhabi Despite Western Sanctions
A major defence expo started off in the United Arab Emirates on Monday. The Deputy Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, Mansour bin Zayed toured the exhibition on the first day of its opening on Monday.
The Indian Ambassador to UAE Sunjay Sudhir also visited the BrahMos Aerospace stall at the IDEX defence exhibition there. The Indian envoy was briefed on the different projects undertaken by the Indo-Russian joint venture company and its efforts towards promoting exports by BrahMos.
Despite Western pressure on Gulf states to help isolate Moscow many Russian firms are participating in the maritime section and there is a strong showing by Israeli companies too.
Russian firms, like Kalashnikov and Rosoboronexport, are displaying assault rifles, missiles and drones at the Naval Defence & Maritime Security Exhibition (NAVDEX), part of the biennial International Defence Exhibition (IDEX) event.
A large number of people in Emirati thobe, as well as military-uniformed men from India, Pakistan and other countries, could be seen engaging with Russian firms’ delegates.
The UAE and Saudi Arabia, which have declined to follow the Western sanctions imposed on Russia over its conflict with Ukraine. Must like India, they have spurned U.S. pressure to break links with Russia, with which they have energy, economic and friendship ties.
The chief executive of BrahMos Aerospace, an India-Russia joint venture, said the firm was moving forward in talks launched five years ago with the UAE for the firm’s supersonic cruise missiles, which can be launched from sea, land and air.
“We are in conversation of course with the UAE and other neighbouring countries,” Atul D. Rane told Reuters, describing the talks with the UAE as advanced after having slowed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
UAE authorities did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Many arms-producing nations vie for influence and contracts from wealthy Gulf Arab countries, especially the UAE and Saudi Arabia, which have moved away from West to diversify their defence partners and want to develop their own industries.
The UAE and Bahrain forged ties with Israel in 2020 partly due to a shared concern over Iran, whose missile and drone capabilities are seen as a threat by Gulf Arab states.
Israeli firms had a large presence at IDEX, including Iron Dome anti-missile system-maker Rafael.
Israel Aerospace Industries held a demonstration of an unmanned vessel with Abu Dhabi Ship Building and Abu Dhabi state-owned defence conglomerate EDGE, the first joint demonstration of military equipment between the two countries.
“Our relation is a very good example of the relations between the nations and the companies. We are complementary, one to each other,” Oren Gutter, operational adviser to IAI’s CEO on naval affairs, told Reuters.
Organisers said 65 countries were taking part in IDEX, which runs to Feb. 24, including major U.S. defence conglomerates such as Raytheon Technologies, Lockheed Martin and Boeing.
The UAE said on Monday it signed deals worth 4.5 billion dirhams (INR 10455 crores) with local and international firms, including a 1.5 billion-dirham deal with Indonesian firm PT Pal to procure multi-mission vessels and a 421 million-dirham contract with France’s Thales LAS for GM403 radars.
