Updated 30 April 2025

IDEX 2025

Immediately after attending Aero India 2025 and all the hassles of visa problems and exhibition disorganisation in Bengaluru, King Arthur’s Writes flew onto Dubai and Abu Dhabi to attend IDEX 2025. What a contrast between the two countries! Yes, the same traffic jams, but one country is so much more organised and it is so much easier to get things done there. And no, it is not India. In fact, it was 18 years since King Arthur’s Writes attended this IDEX show located in Abu Dhabi, since we tend to stick only to military events and exercises in the Asia-Pacific region.

But how remarkably the IDEX show has grown and developed over the years. This is an enormous international event that attracts vendors from all over the world, including Russia. The latter was showing off its latest wares, even whilst its warmongering tsar battles civilians and military personnel in a wanton attack in Ukraine. Nearby booths hosted European and American companies who are supplying weapons to counter Russian aggression. Apart from the sheer size of the IDEX exhibition, it has added a strong naval component with ships and boats tied up alongside the exhibition centre. Perhaps the only disappointment is that the show has become such a victim of its own success that dynamic displays and vehicle demonstrations were no longer part of the 2025 programme. Instead, the space used for these vehicles kicking up dust has now been turned into additional exhibition space.

Another very noticeable change is the growing maturity of UAE-based defence companies. The country boasts a number of very prominent defence entities nowadays, with Edge Group leading the charge. The latter had numerous items on display, either its own products or those exhibited in collaboration with partners. These included advanced UAVs, armoured vehicles, small arms and even ships. In less than 20 years, UAE companies have become established players in the global defence market.