Abu Dhabi ISNR: Guns, pistols and robots attract visitors

Abu Dhabi: International Exhibition for National Security, or ISNR, kicked off on Tuesday as more than 500 exhibitors from 45 countries are displaying UAE-made automatic guns and pistols to armoured cars as well as bomb disposal robots.
Shaikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Interior, inaugurated the three-day event in the presence of the nation's top government officials and 150 foreign delegations and buyers.
The seventh edition of the show will continue till March 17 at the Adnec where around 500 companies are showcasing their products and services.
The UAE's flagship defence manufacturers Tawazun and EDIC are participating with full force, displaying locally produced Caracal pistols, automatic guns, armoured vehicles and other hardware.
Exhibitors have displayed their products including robots, security vehicles, sensitive surveillance cameras and other equipment and software. The organisers expect 18,000 local and regional experts and decision makers from the private and public sectors to attend the show.
This year, new additions include three specialised sections for Homeland Security and National Resilience, Information Security and Critical Infrastructure Security - together with two co-located events dedicated to Fire and Emergency Middle East and Occupational Safety and Health Middle East co-organised by OSHAD Abu Dhabi.
The Middle East's homeland security market is set to double to $34 billion by 2020, demonstrating the Arab World's robust homeland security and national resilience agenda.
"Over the next five years, the Middle East's homeland security market is set to grow from $17 billion to $34 billion, at three times the global growth average," according to a recent Frost & Sullivan report. The largest share, 55 per cent or $15 billion, will go to securing government, energy and critical national infrastructure.
Saudi Arabia is spending $57 billion on military and security in 2016, the highest share of its budget at 25 per cent, according to Frost & Sullivan.
Anticipating this regional growth, the ISNR is set to be the largest of its kind in 2016, covering how to protect citizens against threats, enhance emergency readiness and ensure stability.
- haseeb@khaleejtimes.com