IDEX stands for the International Defence Exhibition & Conference and centres around the latest technological breakthroughs in public security, armaments, and defence technology. The trade fair has existed since 1993 and has done much to consolidate markets in the Middle East and open the region to the world in an economic sense.
Not only is IDEX a platform for innovation, but serves as a meeting point between manufacturers, leaders, and experts within the private and governmental sectors of a number of countries. The product portfolio extends to the entire value chain – defense and fire protection solutions, ammunition, weapons, rockets, tanks, warships, military gear and tactical equipment. What makes IDEX stand out for the industry is the massive outdoor area that hosts live demonstrations.
IDEX 2027
There will not be any changes made to when IDEX 2027 will take place, organisers inform. The international defence exhibition will be held at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre from 25.01.2027 until 29.01.2027.
Accommodation
As we’ve already pointed out, there’s a significant international interest in IDEX. This means you should look into a professional solution for the hotel accommodation for IDEX. Trade Fair Trips ltd is ready to serve you in any capacity you need. With our team, you can book an accommodation quickly and easily, and we know our way around Abu Dhabi. Tell us what budget you’re working with and we’ll provide you with the top hotel rates during IDEX.
The service is straightforward – after a single consultation you receive a list with a variety of hotels in a few hours. Your comfort is our highest priority, which is why we aim to offer hotels near ADNEC. Trade Fair Trips ltd is also available to book meeting rooms.
IDEX takes place in Abu Dhabi, UAE and is organised every two years alongside with NAVDEX (the Naval Defence Exhibition). Editions usually last for about five days in total and are held at the start of the calendar year in the month of February. IDEX LLC, as headed by ADNEC GROUP, fulfills the role of official organiser and ADNEC (Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company) is the host venue for the proceedings.
Only professional visitors are admitted and doors are open from 10:00 am in the morning until 18:00 pm in the afternoon, but these hours are subject to change as the edition’s official program is finalized. ADNEC is best suited for drivers as it’s in a central area and has great parking capacity. The Abu Dhabi International Airport is located a 15-minute drive away. In terms of public transport, you can take the bus line 040 to the exhibition grounds.
“IDEX is the ideal platform for us to look for new partners in order to grow and develop a product that can be sold abroad and locally,” - Ali Al Yafei, CEO, ADASI;
“IDEX brings together key leaders from around the global security and defense industry and provides a platform for us to engage with our most important customers from the Middle East and far beyond,” - Robert Harward, Chief Executive, Lockheed Martin, UAE;
“If we hadn’t had a platform like IDEX to bring all those technologies together in the beginning and showcase our capabilities, we wouldn’t be here today to talk about the biggest defense industry company in the Middle East and we want to show it here in IDEX,” - Homaid Al Shemmari, CEO, Mubadala Aerospace and Engineering Service and Chairman of the Board, Emirates Defense Industries Company (EDIC)
IDEX enjoys the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. This aligns the international trade fair with the Ministry of Defence and the GHQ Armed Forces UAE. This is why IDEX has such a diverse audience – government, military and business.
There are chiefs of staff, defence ministers, and army, navy and airforce commanders. All in all, there are 105,000 trade visitors on average, who come to see the rich product lineup housed in 12 halls as presented by over 1300 exhibitors.
In terms of nationality, most visitors arrive from neighboring regions in North Africa, the Asian Subcontinent and the GCC. The countries with biggest representation are UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
IDEX 2019
IDEX 2021
IDEX 2023
IDEX 2025
The 2025 edition of IDEX took place in ADNEC as a live trade fair between 17.02.2025 and 21.02.2025. It was attended by 1,565 exhibitors from 65 countries, and over 206,000 visitors from 167 nations, with 57% from abroad. This represented a 55.5% rise in visitor attendance and a 16% increase in exhibitor participation compared to 2024. They attended within an event space of 181,501 m2, a 10% rise compared to the last edition. The exhibitor group featured 156 start-ups, while the visitor section included 6,000 university students. The event resulted in the securement of 25,150,000,000 AED of trade deals, representing a 10% increase compared to the previous format. As a result of the success of the event's edition, 70% of the event space for the next format has already been pre-booked.
