·       Cumulative value of Tawazun Council deals reaches AED 939 million

·       72 UAE companies represented at the event

·       214 companies present at exhibition space covering more than 30,000 square meters

·       Five new features at largest edition to date attract high participation

Abu Dhabi,24 January 2024: Under the distinguished patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi, and having been inaugurated by His Highness Lieutenant General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, day two of the UMEX and SimTEX exhibitions has drawn to a close after another exciting and absorbing day of live demonstrations, ongoing competitions, major new business deals and insightful talk sessions.

Organised by ADNEC Group and the Ministry of Defence, with EDGE Group as a strategic partner, the second day of the exhibition continued to showcase the latest advances and new technologies that are shaping the evolution of unmanned systems sector.

Attendees and participants also took advantage of the five imaginative new initiatives featured at this year’s edition of UMEX and SimTEX, with the MoD Coding Challenge Competition, UMEX Commercial, Live Demonstrations, UMEX Next_Gen, and UMEX Talks all attracting great interest. The end of the second day also saw the accumulated value of deals signed by the Tawazun Council on behalf of the Ministry of Defense reach AED 939 million.

Live demonstrations of unmanned systems

For the first time, live demonstrations by leading companies were showcased at the ADNEC Grandstand and Water Channel, alongside traditional aerial displays at Tilal Sweihan in Al Ain.

The live demonstrations across three venues displayed the latest in aerial drones, unmanned light aircraft, ground vehicles, and marine systems from prominent local and international civil and defence industry companies. These demonstrations highlighted a rich array of advanced technology capabilities applicable to a range of fields including military assistance and environmental research.

New product launches

Today’s exhibitions saw a range of new product launches that further highlighted the range of innovation and creativity on show this year.

EDGE Group, the strategic partner for UMEX and SimTEX 2024, launched a range of innovative new products including the GY300, an unmanned aircraft designed for short takeoff and landing on rough terrain, the Bunker Pro, a high-performance unmanned ground vehicle, and the M-BUGGY, a wheeled, multi-terrain unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) using the latest imaging and sensor technology to provide actionable data.

Khalifa University of Science and Technology announced 13 innovations in advanced technologies for the digital world including fire extinguishing drones, heterogeneous robotic systems, a self-driving car, and drones for cloud seeding to enhance rainfall among others.

Eneron, a subsidiary of UAE-based Kintsugi and a pioneer in tactical mobility, showcased the advanced electric Magnus reconnaissance vehicle.

UMEX Next_GEN

Day two of the exhibitions saw UMEX NEXT_GEN continue to offer a pioneering platform for startups to network with top-tier professionals, secure mentoring, form strategic partnerships, and access valuable investment opportunities. The feature’s Pitch Competition featured further productive interaction between startups, industry leaders and potential investors that will culminate on the final day of the exhibitions with the award of the title of UMEX NEXT_GEN 2024 champion start-up.

UMEX Talks

The UMEX Talks featured further lively and informative exchanges between leading industry executives, specialists and stakeholders covering drones, robotics, components and unmanned systems.

Dr Roberto Sabatini, Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Khalifa University, discussed the likely evolution of the global aviation sector through intelligent and autonomous flight systems. Professor Sabatini argued that automation and AI in aerospace systems will be a key enabler in the sector’s transformation.

Malik Majali, Technical Manager at SCS, presented insights from his company’s experience in using sensors to detect commercial drones during 2022 Qatar World Cup. During the tournament, the company provided security for critical infrastructure and provided training to police and other personnel.

Rounding off day two in style, the Ministry of Defence’s Musical band returned to march through the venue and entertain attendees with another rousing performance.

As a leading global gathering for drones, robotics, components and unmanned systems, this year’s UMEX and SimTEX 2024 exhibitions have reaffirmed and strengthened their status as essential platforms for innovation and new business partnerships in the unmanned systems sector. The impressive array of new tech on display and commercial deals sealed during day two of the event also highlight Abu Dhabi's leading international position as a centre of excellence and creativity in this field.

With the third and final day of the UMEX and SimTEX exhibitions taking place tomorrow, attendees and participants can look forward to another packed programme of groundbreaking demonstrations, networking sessions and new strategic partnership deals that will continue to drive the future agenda for unmanned and simulation technologies.