UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 003021

SIPDIS

USDOC FOR 3131/USFCS/OIO/ANESA/RD/BORR/STAUHIDI
USDOC FOR 3320/USFCS/EPS/TFC/DHUBER/WCORFITZEN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ABUD BMGT AFIN BEXP TC
SUBJECT: END OF SHOW REPORT FOR CERTIFIED TRADE FAIR:
INTERNATIONAL DEFENSE EXHIBITION & CONFERENCE (IDEX)
2003, ABU DHABI, UAE, MARCH 16-20, 2003. EVENT ID 3D2F



1. SUMMARY:

THE USA PAVILION AT THE SIXTH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL
DEFENSE EXHIBITION AND CONFERENCE (IDEX), MARCH 16-20,
2003, WAS DOC CERTIFIED AND WAS ORGANIZED BY THE
ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY (AUSA). TWENTY
SEVEN AMERICAN COMPANIES, INCLUDING 5 NEW TO MARKET,
WERE LOCATED IN THE U.S. PAVILION IN ADDITION TO 45
OTHER AMERICAN COMPANIES ADJACENT TO THE PAVILION OR CO-
EXHIBITING AT THE SHOW. PARTICIPANTS REPORTED OVER
1,000 SALES LEADS AND PROJECTED SEVERAL MILLION DOLLARS
IN SALES OVER THE NEXT 12 MONTHS BASED ON CONTACTS MADE
AT THE SHOW. IDEX 2003 FEATURED 850 EXHIBITORS FROM 45
COUNTRIES, 32 NATIONAL PAVILIONS, 58 OFFICIAL
DELEGATIONS, AND ATTRACTED A REPORTED 35,0000 VISITORS.
CS ABU DHABI TOGETHER WITH THE AMERICAN BUSINESS GROUP
(ABG) ORGANIZED AN EXHIBITOR'S BREAKFAST BRIEFING AND
STAFFED A BUSINESS INFORMATION OFFICE (BIO) AT THE USA
PAVILION. CS UAE PROVIDED BUSINESS COUNSELING AND
MARKET INFORMATION TO EXHIBITORS AND BUSINESS VISITORS.
AMBASSADOR MARCELLE WAHBA HOSTED A RECEPTION FOR THE
U.S. EXHIBITORS AND LOCAL DIGNITARIES. THE ENTIRE
EMBASSY SUPPORTED THIS EVENT AND CS UAE RECOMMENDS
CERTIFICATION FOR IDEX 2005, AS THE RESULTS MORE THAN
JUSTIFY THE CONSIDERABLE EFFORT EXPENDED. END SUMMARY.



2. OPENING AND ATTENDANCE:

SHAYKH KHALIFA BIN ZAYED AL-NAHYAN, CROWN PRINCE OF ABU
DHABI AND DEPUTY SUPREME COMMANDER OF THE UAE ARMED
FORCES, INAUGURATED IDEX 2003. VISITORS TO THE U.S.
PAVILION INCLUDED SHAYKH MOHAMED BIN RASHED AL MAKTOUM,
U.A.E MINISTER OF DEFENSE AND CROWN PRINCE OF DUBAI,
SHAYKH MOHAMMED BIN ZAYED, CHIEF OF STAFF OF THE U.A.E
ARMED FORCES, AND KING ABDULLAH OF JORDAN. OTHER
ATTENDEES INCLUDED HEADS OF DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS IN THE
U.A.E, MILITARY ATTACHES, DIRECTORS OF ALL THE
DIVISIONS OF THE U.A.E ARMED FORCES, AND HIGH LEVEL
MILITARY DELEGATIONS FROM SAUDI ARABIA, SUDAN, EGYPT,
JORDAN, SYRIA, BAHRAIN, QATAR, OMAN, AND OTHER

COUNTRIES IN THE REGION.


3. EMBASSY AND CS ORGANIZED EVENTS:

ON THE OPENING DAY, OVER 150 U.S. AND U.A.E. BUSINESS
PEOPLE ATTENDED A BREAKFAST BRIEFING ORGANIZED BY ABG
AND CS ABU DHABI. THE AMBASSADOR WELCOMED THE
ATTENDEES AND SPOKE ABOUT THE CURRENT SITUATION IN THE
REGION AND U.S-U.A.E POLITICAL AND ECONOMICAL TIES.
DURING THE COURSE OF THE EXHIBITION, MAJOR GENERAL JOE

G. TAYLOR, JR., COMMANDING GENERAL, U.S. ARMY SECURITY
ASSISTANCE COMMAND, AND MAJOR GENERAL MARK CURRAN,
COMMANDING GENERAL, U.S. AVIATION CENTER AT FORT
RUCKER, TOURED THE EXHIBITION AND CONDUCTED SEMINAR
PRESENTATIONS AT THE USA PAVILION.

AMBASSADOR WAHBA HOSTED A RECEPTION FOR THE U.S.
EXHIBITORS THAT WAS ATTENDED BY OVER 250 U.A.E.
DIGNITARIES AND REPRESENTATIVES OF U.S. COMPANIES.


4. USA PAVILION:

THE MAJORITY OF THE U.S. PRESENCE WAS IN EXHIBITION
HALL 4 OF THE ABU DHABI INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION
CENTER. AMBASSADOR WAHBA AND MG JOE TAYLOR OFFICIALLY
OPENED THE USA PAVILION. EMBASSY STAFF LED THE GROUP
ON A TOUR OF THE PAVILION AND INTRODUCED EXHIBITING
COMPANIES' REPRESENTATIVES.

THE 27 USA PAVILION EXHIBITORS DISPLAYED AN ARRAY OF
MILITARY EQUIPMENT, BATTLEFIELD COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS,
RADAR EQUIPMENT, ELECTRONIC WARFARE, NIGHT VISION, O
AND M SUPPORT SERVICES, MILITARY CLOTHING, PORTABLE
WATER FILTRATION AND PURIFICATION BOTTLES, AND
ELECTRONIC SECURITY SYSTEMS, AND OTHER STATE OF THE ART
TECHNOLOGY.

CS STAFF MANNED THE EMBASSY/CS BUSINESS INFORMATION
OFFICE (BIO) THROUGHOUT THE SHOW FOR A TOTAL OF 120
HOURS, WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF ABG STAFF.

CS ABU DHABI ALSO ORGANIZED A PRODUCT LITERATURE CENTER
(PLC) AT THE BOOTH DISPLAYING CATALOGUES OF US
MANUFACTURERS OF SHELTERS, MILITARY STRUCTURES, FIBER
OPTICS SYSTEMS AND OPTICAL CABLES, PNEUMATIC
TELESCOPING MASTS, SUPPLIERS OF AIRCRAFT PARTS, AND
PROVIDERS OF MILITARY EDUCATION. OVER 1,000 VISITORS
STOPPED BY FOR PLC LEADS, CS PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
INFORMATION, LISTS OF UAE MILITARY CONTACTS,
INFORMATION ON U.S. PRODUCTS, UAE BUSINESS/LEGAL
PUBLICATIONS, COUNTRY COMMERCIAL GUIDES, AND FREE
SAMPLES OF U.S. DONUTS, SNACK FOODS, AND JUICES.


5. MEDIA COVERAGE:

EXHIBITORS WERE DELIGHTED WITH THE EXTENSIVE MEDIA
COVERAGE THEY RECEIVED, WITH AT LEAST 15-20 PRESS
ARTICLES ON U.S. PRODUCTS. LOCAL TV AND RADIO FEATURED
THE UAE DIGNITARIES VISIT TO THE EMBASSY/CS BOOTH. THE
USA PAVILION AND SEVERAL US COMPANIES WERE ALSO
FEATURED IN THE DAILY SHOW REPORT PUBLISHED BY JANE'S.


6. VIEWS AND COMMENTS:

DESPITE THE MOUNTING TENSION IN THE REGION BECAUSE OF
THE IMPENDING IRAQ WAR, MOST OF THE U.S. EXHIBITORS
WERE PLEASED WITH THE SHOW AND EXPRESSED A DESIRE TO
PARTICIPATE IN THE NEXT IDEX IN MARCH OF 2005. IN
GENERAL, THEY WERE VERY PLEASED WITH THE PAVILION
ORGANIZATION BY AUSA AND CS STAFF SUPPORT AND
ASSISTANCE. FOLLOWING ARE EXCERPTS OF THE EXHIBITOR'S
COMMENTS TAKEN FROM THE MISSION/EXHIBITION EVALUATION
FORM:

"EXCELLENT SHOW FOR CONTACTS AND FOLLOW-UP ON SALES
OPPORTUNITIES"
FIRE ARMS TRAINING SYSTEMS

"THE US COMMERCIAL SERVICE STAFF EXTENDED THEIR FULL
SUPPORT TO OUR ACTIVITIES DURING THE SHOW"
HORTON EMERGENCY VEHICLES

"SHOW ALLOWS DIRECT INTERFACE WITH UAE CUSTOMERS AND
POTENTIAL MIDDLE EAST CUSTOMERS"
GOODRICH CORPORATION

"PROVIDED STRATEGIC MARKET CONTACTS AND CUT LEAD TIME
FOR MARKET ENTRY"
ATN

THE MAIN COMPLAINT FROM SEVERAL EXHIBITORS WHO HAD
ATTENDED PREVIOUS IDEXES WAS A DECREASE IN THE NUMBER
OF HIGH-LEVEL DELEGATIONS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES. IN
ADDITION, DEFENSE OBSERVERS NOTED THAT DEFENSE
EXPENDITURES HAVE PEAKS AND VALLEYS, AND THIS COULD
HAVE BEEN A "VALLEY" YEAR.


7. RESULTS:

U.S. PAVILION PARTICIPANTS OBTAINED OVER 1,000 SALES
LEADS DURING THE 5 DAYS AND PROJECTED SEVERAL MILLION
US DOLLARS IN SALES OVER THE NEXT 12 MONTHS AS A RESULT
OF SHOW CONTACTS. OVER $70 MILLION IN SALES WERE MADE
PUBLIC BY LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL COMPANIES EXHIBITING
AT IDEX 2003 DURING THE EVENT.


8. COMMENTS:

IDEX OFFERS AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY FOR U.S. DEFENSE
FIRMS TO PURSUE EXPORT SALES AND DEVELOP BUSINESS
CONTACTS NOT ONLY IN THE UAE BUT ALSO IN OTHER MARKETS
OF THE REGION. IDEX HAS CARVED A DISTINCTIVE NICHE FOR
ITSELF AMONG THE WORLD'S TOP DEFENSE EXHIBITIONS. OVER
150 PUBLICATIONS AND NEWS ORGANIZATIONS WERE COVERING
THE SHOW. CS UAE SUPPORTS CONTINUED USDOC CERTIFICATION
FOR IDEX. THE POTENTIAL RESULTS FOR A VARIETY OF U.S.
COMPANIES, INCLUDING NTM FIRMS, MAKES THIS WELL WORTH
THE CONSIDERABLE EFFORT EXPENDED BY CS UAE AND THE
EMBASSY.

WAHBA