Under the Patronage of Prince Feisal Bin Al Hussein, the SOFEX 2010 ‘Middle East Special Operations Commanders Conference’ was launched today at Le Royal Hotel in Amman. Lt. General Mashal Mohammad Al Zaben, chairman of the joint chiefs-of-staff, representing His Majesty King Abdullah II, was the keynote speaker at the Conference, which was attended by a large gathering of over 550 Defense Ministers, Chief of Staffs and Military Dignitaries from 82 countries across the globe.
In his opening speech, Lt. General Mashal Al Zaben, stated, “For over 14 years our country has been proud to host these gatherings, bringing together official high level delegations from all around the world to exchange experiences and ideas, and taking a united stand against terror in order to provide security and a future that all communities around the world desire. By working together we will bring peace and security to the world, but we must also keep in mind that although Special Operations forces are vital to fighting terror, they are not the only weapon - we must understand what drives terror and root it out.”
The objective of the Conference is to enhance the capabilities of Special Operations Forces around the world to network for global security and combat global terrorism. The Conference is the opening component of SOFEX 2010, which is followed by an extensive exhibition that commences on May 11th at the King Abdullah I Airbase in Marka.
The conference provided a platform for dialogue, sharing strategies and experiences where senior government decision-makers and security analysts discussed a wide range of issues pertinent to global defense, homeland security and Special Operations. Speakers included high ranking Military Officers and experts in the field from Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Pakistan and the United States of America who covered topics such as war-fighting operations to home defence missions, counterterrorist operations, urban warfare and dismounted close combat.
The Conference was organized by the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis (INEGMA) and supported by the Jordanian Armed Forces. The Conference was sponsored by Eurocopter, an EADS company, and Lockheed Martin.
Mr. Riad Kahwaji, Managing Director of INEGMA stated, “The best way to keep with the latest technologies and new challenges and solutions is for friends and allies to stay in touch and exchange information on their experiences. This is why we are here today. We have a good line up of speakers who will bring us up-to-date on their experiences with lessons learned that could benefit all of us. Military education and transfer of military experience and expertise has always been the objective of INEGMA conferences in the region.”
Mr. Amer Tabbah, Managing Director of SOFEX, stated "The purpose of today’s conference is to continue to build on the considerable progress we have made over the years in building bridges between countries, and developing understanding amongst people from around the world on the common threats that face us all, and the importance of working together, government and industry together, in order to overcome these challenges. The power of a gathering like this one lies in its collective wisdom, and for the next four days, we will all be working together and Networking for Global Security in order to establish a better and safer tomorrow for every citizen of the world.”
The Conference is being followed by a three day exhibition held at the King Abdullah I Airbase in Marka, where approximately 350 local, regional and international exhibitors will be displaying the latest state of the art equipment and technology used by Special Operations Forces around the world.
