ABU DHABI, 23rd February, 2023 (WAM) – The IDEX and NAVDEX Talks were held for the first time at the IDEX and NAVDEX exhibitions in Abu Dhabi. The talks attracted thought leaders, policy makers, and world-renowned experts to discuss pressing issues in the defence sector.
During the first session, titled "Reflecting the message of the UAE's leadership to shape our future success: The case of the COVID-19 Pandemic," Dr. Farida Al Hosani, Executive Director of Infectious Diseases & Official Spokesperson of the UAE Health Sector, discussed the role of communication and media in the country's successful response to the pandemic. “One of the major factors that contributed to our successful response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the UAE was the guidance, insight, and the long-term vision of our leadership. I believe that communication and media played a very important role in our response strategy. If you do not engage with the community, they will not respond. This is what we saw in certain countries. Building trust is very important and connecting with people is something that needs to be built in advance.”
New technologies, including cloud computing, drones, social media, advanced data analytics and AI can be utilised to deal with any future pandemic, she added.
During the second session titled "Cyber security future 2030: How to develop a sustainable defensive ecosystem," Dr. Bushra Al Blooshi, Deputy Director of Information Services at Dubai Electronic Security Centre, talked about the cybersecurity challenges facing the country and the need to balance between digital transformation and cybersecurity. “The cyber security challenges might impact the economy’s growth or physical security of the countries themselves. In the UAE, we have one of the world's busiest airports connecting to over 240 cities globally, and most importantly when it comes to safety, the UAE is ranked as one of the top countries having physical safety and security. The UAE is balancing between digital transformation cybersecurity and all of those global regional competitive measures.
“We are expecting and aiming to have 25 of our buildings to be 3d printed by 2030. We are aiming to have 25 vehicles in the road within Dubai to be connected vehicles autonomous and we are expecting 25 of the total power output to come from the clean energy by 2030,” she stated.
Finally, during the third session titled "Emirati Women in Defence: Seeking new paradigms of thinking," Dr. Fatma Bazargan, Director of Enabling Technologies, Requirements & Capabilities at Raytheon Emirates ltd, and other female defence professionals discussed their experiences and encouraged more women to join the industry.