--- title: "IDEX 2027 — Abu Dhabi | Model Diplomat" description: "International Defence Exhibition & Conference - IDEX 2027 is a professional conference in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Jan 25–29, 2027." url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/conferences/professional/international-defence-exhibition-conference-idex-2027" --- # International Defence Exhibition & Conference - IDEX 2027 Jan 25–29, 2027[Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1\&query=Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20United%20Arab%20Emirates)In-person [Registration open](https://www.idexuae.ae/) The International Defence Exhibition & Conference (IDEX) is a premier global event showcasing the latest advancements in defense technology across land, sea, and air. Held in Abu Dhabi, ARE, this exhibition serves as a critical platform for international defense companies, government officials, and military personnel to engage in strategic discussions, forge partnerships, and explore future defense solutions. The conference component complements the exhibition by addressing pressing geopolitical challenges and emerging trends in military capabilities. ## Committees & topics - Topics Emerging Defence Technologies and the Global Arms Market · Contemporary Military Operations and Coalition Warfare · Artificial Intelligence in Warfare · Space Weaponization and the Future of Orbital Security · Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Defence · Sustainable Energy and the Decarbonisation of Defence ## Why it matters IDEX holds significant importance as it convenes key decision-makers and innovators in the defense sector. The event facilitates the exchange of ideas and the demonstration of cutting-edge technologies, influencing global defense strategies and procurement. Its location in Abu Dhabi, ARE, positions it as a crucial hub for defense dialogues in a region with evolving security dynamics. The exhibition's focus on land, sea, and air defense reflects the comprehensive nature of modern warfare and the integrated approach required for national security. The discussions and collaborations at IDEX can shape the trajectory of defense innovation, from advanced weaponry to cybersecurity and artificial intelligence applications in military contexts. The event provides a unique opportunity for nations to assess their defense needs against global offerings and to understand the strategic implications of new technologies. This convergence of military leadership, industry experts, and policymakers underscores its role in defining the future landscape of international security. ## How to prepare To effectively engage with the International Defence Exhibition & Conference, participants should undertake thorough preparation. This includes understanding the current geopolitical landscape and its impact on defense priorities. Familiarity with emerging defense technologies, such as unmanned systems, cyber warfare capabilities, and advanced materials, will be crucial for informed discussions. Delegates should also consider the strategic interests of the host nation, ARE, and other prominent attendees. Analyzing past defense procurement trends and future investment areas can provide valuable insights. Engaging with the event requires a strategic approach to networking, identifying key stakeholders, and understanding their respective defense needs and technological interests. This preparation will enable participants to maximize their engagement and contribute meaningfully to the dialogues at IDEX. ## Country perspectives Where the most-relevant 1 countries stand on the core issues in play. Click through for the full country profile. [United Arab Emirates](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-arab-emirates) [Host nation and significant defense market.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-arab-emirates) [Role in topic](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-arab-emirates) [As the host nation, ARE plays a central role in facilitating international defense cooperation and showcasing its own defense capabilities and procurement interests. The event is a key component of its strategy to foster technological advancement and regional security.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-arab-emirates) ## Topics & background The background behind each topic and the actors that shape it. 1 ### Emerging Defence Technologies and the Global Arms Market Defence technology development has accelerated sharply since the mid-2010s, driven by renewed great-power competition, the war in Ukraine, and conflicts in the Middle East. States are investing heavily in hypersonic missiles, loitering munitions, directed-energy weapons, next-generation air dominance platforms, and electronic warfare systems. Global military expenditure surpassed USD 2.4 trillion in 2023 according to SIPRI, with the United States, China, and Russia leading R\&D, while middle powers such as the UAE, Turkey, South Korea, and Israel have become significant exporters and integrators of advanced systems. The core tensions revolve around technology transfer, export controls, and the erosion of traditional arms-control regimes. The Wassenaar Arrangement and the Missile Technology Control Regime have struggled to keep pace with dual-use innovations, particularly in drones and software-defined systems. Indigenous defence industrialisation in the Gulf, India, and Southeast Asia is reshaping procurement patterns away from exclusive reliance on Western suppliers. Today, the central debate concerns how to balance national sovereignty in defence production, interoperability among allies, and the risk of destabilising proliferation. Forums such as IDEX have become focal points where procurement decisions intersect with strategic alignment, blurring the line between commercial exhibition and geopolitical signalling. Key players - [United States](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) [Largest defence R\&D spender and dominant arms exporter](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) - [China](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) [Rapidly modernising defence-industrial base with growing export footprint](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) - [Russia](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/russia) [Major exporter facing sanctions and battlefield-driven adaptation](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/russia) - [United Arab Emirates](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-arab-emirates) [Host of IDEX and rising hub for indigenous defence manufacturing (EDGE Group)](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-arab-emirates) - [Turkey](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/turkey) [Emerging exporter of drones and armoured platforms](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/turkey) - [Israel](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/israel) [Innovator in missile defence, UAVs, and electronic warfare](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/israel) 2 ### Contemporary Military Operations and Coalition Warfare The character of military operations has shifted markedly since 2022. Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine reintroduced large-scale conventional warfare to Europe, while the Gaza conflict, Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping, and instability in the Sahel have stretched coalition capacities. Operations increasingly combine conventional forces with cyber, information, and space-enabled effects, demanding new doctrines for multi-domain integration. Maritime security in the Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz has become a recurring flashpoint, with Operation Prosperity Guardian and EU Operation Aspides reflecting divergent coalition approaches. In the Sahel, the withdrawal of French and UN forces (MINUSMA) and the entry of Russian-aligned private military contractors have reshaped counter-terrorism operations. Meanwhile, NATO has reinforced its eastern flank and revived territorial defence planning for the first time in a generation. Key contemporary debates include the legal thresholds for coalition strikes, burden-sharing among partners, the role of private military companies, and the protection of civilians in dense urban operations. Lessons from Ukraine — particularly on drones, artillery consumption, and electronic warfare — are being rapidly absorbed into doctrine worldwide. Key players - [United States](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) [Lead nation in most current multinational coalitions](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) - [United Kingdom](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-kingdom) [Key partner in Red Sea and European deterrence operations](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-kingdom) - [France](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/france) [Major operational actor recalibrating after Sahel withdrawal](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/france) - [Russia](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/russia) [Belligerent in Ukraine and contractor presence across Africa](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/russia) - [Saudi Arabia](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/saudi-arabia) [Regional military actor in Yemen and Red Sea security](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/saudi-arabia) - [United Arab Emirates](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-arab-emirates) [Coalition partner with expanding expeditionary capability](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-arab-emirates) 3 ### Artificial Intelligence in Warfare AI has moved from a peripheral research interest to a central component of modern military planning within a decade. Machine learning is now embedded in targeting cycles, ISR fusion, logistics, cyber defence, and increasingly in autonomous platforms. Ukraine has become a live laboratory for AI-enabled drone targeting and electronic warfare, while major powers race to field AI-enhanced command-and-control systems such as the US Joint All-Domain Command and Control concept and China's 'intelligentized warfare' doctrine. International debate has centred on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS) within the UN Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons Group of Governmental Experts, active since 2017. Progress toward binding rules has stalled, with a coalition of states pushing for a treaty mandating meaningful human control, while major military powers prefer non-binding principles. The 2023 REAIM summit in The Hague and follow-on declarations on responsible military AI use mark the most concrete normative steps to date. Core unresolved issues include defining 'meaningful human control', accountability for AI errors, the dual-use nature of commercial AI, verification of compliance, and risks of escalation when AI compresses decision timelines in nuclear or near-nuclear contexts. Key players - [United States](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) [Leader in military AI doctrine and responsible-use declarations](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) - [China](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) [Pursuing intelligentized warfare; resists binding LAWS limits](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) - [Russia](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/russia) [Developing autonomous systems; blocks consensus at CCW GGE](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/russia) - [Israel](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/israel) [Operational user of AI targeting systems](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/israel) - [United Kingdom](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-kingdom) [Co-sponsor of responsible military AI initiatives](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-kingdom) - [Netherlands](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/netherlands) [Host of REAIM summit and norm entrepreneur](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/netherlands) 4 ### Space Weaponization and the Future of Orbital Security Outer space has shifted from a sanctuary to a contested operational domain. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty bans weapons of mass destruction in orbit but does not prohibit conventional anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons. Destructive ASAT tests by China (2007), India (2019), and Russia (2021) generated significant orbital debris and accelerated concerns about the sustainability of the space environment. The United States established a Space Force in 2019, and France, the UK, Japan, and others have followed with dedicated space commands. Negotiations on the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space (PAROS) have been deadlocked at the Conference on Disarmament for decades. A US-led moratorium on destructive direct-ascent ASAT testing has gained support from over 35 states since 2022, but Russia and China have not joined. Meanwhile, the proliferation of dual-use commercial constellations such as Starlink — which played a decisive role in Ukraine — has blurred lines between civilian and military space assets. The central policy challenge is how to preserve safe access to orbit while major powers develop counterspace capabilities including jamming, spoofing, directed-energy, and co-orbital systems. Debate now focuses on norms of responsible behaviour, transparency and confidence-building measures, and whether the Outer Space Treaty regime requires supplementation. Key players - [United States](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) [Largest space power; leads ASAT test moratorium](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) - [China](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) [Advanced counterspace capabilities; co-sponsor of PPWT draft](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) - [Russia](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/russia) [Demonstrated ASAT capability; opposes Western norms approach](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/russia) - [India](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/india) [Demonstrated ASAT capability; growing space power](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/india) - [France](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/france) [Operates dedicated space command; active in EU space strategy](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/france) - [Japan](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/japan) [Expanding military space role in alliance with the US](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/japan) 5 ### Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Defence CBRN threats have re-emerged as a top-tier concern. The use of chemical weapons in Syria, the Novichok poisonings in the UK (2018) and Russia (2020), and repeated Russian nuclear signalling during the Ukraine war have eroded longstanding taboos. The Chemical Weapons Convention (1997), Biological Weapons Convention (1975), and Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (1968) remain the legal backbone, but verification mechanisms vary widely in strength — the BWC notably lacks a verification protocol. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed how fragile biosecurity preparedness is, while advances in synthetic biology and AI-assisted protein design have lowered technical barriers to dangerous pathogen engineering. On the nuclear side, the collapse of the INF Treaty (2019), Russia's suspension of New START participation (2023), and Iran's expanding enrichment programme have weakened the architecture of strategic restraint. Radiological 'dirty bomb' concerns persist in conflict zones with poorly secured materials. CBRN defence today spans detection, protective equipment, medical countermeasures, decontamination, attribution, and consequence management. Key debates focus on strengthening the OPCW's attribution mandate, reviving BWC verification, securing fissile and radiological materials, and preparing civilian populations and first responders for low-probability, high-consequence events. Key players - [United States](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) [Major funder of biosecurity and nuclear security programmes](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) - [Russia](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/russia) [Subject of CW attribution findings; nuclear posture concerns](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/russia) - [China](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) [Expanding nuclear arsenal; key BWC negotiating actor](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) - [Iran](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/iran) [Central to nuclear non-proliferation concerns](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/iran) - [North Korea](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/north-korea) [Active nuclear and suspected CBW programmes](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/north-korea) - [Syria](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/syria) [Focus of OPCW investigations into chemical weapons use](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/syria) 6 ### Sustainable Energy and the Decarbonisation of Defence Armed forces are among the largest institutional consumers of fossil fuels in the world; the US Department of Defense alone is the single largest organisational emitter of greenhouse gases globally. Operational energy demand — particularly for fuel convoys — has long been recognised as a source of strategic vulnerability, a lesson reinforced in Iraq and Afghanistan where fuel logistics drove a significant share of casualties. Climate change is also increasingly framed as a 'threat multiplier' in national security strategies from NATO, the US, the UK, and the EU. Major militaries have set decarbonisation targets: the UK Ministry of Defence aims for net zero by 2050, NATO has adopted a climate change and security agenda since 2021, and the US has issued a Climate Adaptation Plan. Investments are flowing into microgrids on bases, sustainable aviation fuels, hybrid-electric ground vehicles, and small modular nuclear reactors for forward power. Gulf states, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia, are integrating renewables into base infrastructure as part of broader Vision 2030-type strategies. The core tensions are between operational effectiveness, cost, and emissions reduction; between energy security through diversification and reliance on critical mineral supply chains dominated by a few states; and between alliance interoperability standards and divergent national energy mixes. The agenda increasingly intersects with industrial policy, as governments seek to align defence procurement with domestic clean-energy sectors. Key players - [United States](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) [Largest military emitter; major investor in operational energy R\&D](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) - [United Kingdom](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-kingdom) [Defence net-zero 2050 target and climate strategy leader](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-kingdom) - [France](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/france) [Pursuing low-carbon defence procurement and nuclear-powered platforms](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/france) - [United Arab Emirates](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-arab-emirates) [Integrating renewables into defence infrastructure under Vision 2030](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-arab-emirates) - [Germany](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/germany) [Driving EU-level defence sustainability standards](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/germany) - [Australia](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/australia) [Adapting force posture to climate and energy security risks](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/australia) ## Resources News, lessons, and country profiles to prep for International Defence Exhibition & Conference - IDEX 2027. Recent reporting to ground your prep [Japan's Dilemma Over Hormuz Mine Clearance](https://modeldiplomat.com/story/japans-dilemma-over-hormuz-mine-clearance) [Ukraine Drone Strikes Crimea Power Grid](https://modeldiplomat.com/story/ukraine-drone-strikes-crimea-power-grid) [North Korea's Nuclear Navy Ambitions](https://modeldiplomat.com/story/north-koreas-nuclear-navy-ambitions) [Canada's Saab GlobalEye Deal Shifts Defense](https://modeldiplomat.com/story/canadas-saab-globaleye-deal-shifts-defense) Lessons Bite-sized lessons to build the basics [Hidden Stakeholders](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/lessons/hidden-stakeholders) [Engagement Strategies](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/lessons/engagement-strategies) [Dynamic Analysis](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/lessons/dynamic-analysis) [Stakeholder Mapping Workshop](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/lessons/stakeholder-workshop) Courses Guided courses that go deeper on the topic [Advanced Negotiation](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/courses/advanced-negotiation) [Multilateral Negotiation](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/courses/multilateral-negotiation) [Policy Brief Writing](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/courses/policy-brief) [Conflict Resolution](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/courses/conflict-resolution) The states in play, with the data that shapes their stance [United Arab Emirates](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-arab-emirates) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-arab-emirates) [United States](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) [China](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) [Russia](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/russia) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/russia) [Turkey](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/turkey) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/turkey) [Israel](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/israel) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/israel) [United Kingdom](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-kingdom) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-kingdom) [France](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/france) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/france) [Saudi Arabia](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/saudi-arabia) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/saudi-arabia) [Netherlands](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/netherlands) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/netherlands) [India](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/india) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/india) [Japan](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/japan) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/japan) [Iran](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/iran) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/iran) [North Korea](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/north-korea) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/north-korea) [Syria](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/syria) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/syria) [Germany](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/germany) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/germany) [Australia](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/australia) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/australia) ## Frequently asked questions - - Free account Save conferences, research any topic with AI, build position papers, and keep your daily prep streak — free. 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