The four-day International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) has welcomed some of the biggest names in the arms industry, with British firm BAE Systems, and US missile-maker Raytheon among the high-profile exhibitors.
The latter firm announced yesterday it has won a $42 million contract to train Afghan airforce pilots, one of a number of defence deals expected to be sealed at the event.
In recent years Gulf countries have been an increasingly lucrative market for Western arms manufacturers as they seek to guard against a wide variety of threats.
As well as purchasing existing hardware, Gulf countries are increasingly keen to develop their own manufacturing and maintenance sites.
