The IDEX 2011 Gala Dinner and Awards ceremony was held at the Abu Dhabi Armed Forces Officers’ Club in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, National Security Advisor and Vice Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council.
More than 2,000 guests, including exhibitors and select dignitaries from the UAE and abroad, attended the ceremony during which select IDEX and NAVDEX participants were honored for their excellence and contribution to the show.
Rheinmetall AG (Germany) and the UAE’s Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB) were the big winners with the German company bagging ‘Best Exhibition Stand’ at IDEX, while ADSB took home the honor for ‘Best Exhibition Stand’ at NAVDEX - the naval defense exhibition that’s being held in parallel with IDEX this year.
UKR Spese Export from Ukraine was awarded ‘Most Innovative Stand’; RUD Ketten Rieger from Germany took home the award for ‘Best First Time Exhibitor’ at IDEX, while Germany was recognized for having the ‘Largest (international) country pavilion’ at IDEX. USA won the award for ‘Country Pavilion with the most number of exhibitors’.
The final award of the evening gave special recognition to the IDEX & NAVDEX Headline Sponsor, Tawazun Holding, recognizing their contribution to the success of this year’s show.
Dignitaries in attendance at the Gala Awards program included Major General Obaid al Ketbi, Head of Committees and spokesman for IDEX 2011, His Excellency Ali Saeed Bin Harmal Al Dhaheri, Managing Director of ADNEC, as well as top officials from among the more than 50 countries represented at this year’s IDEX.
Addressing the gathering at the event, H.E. Ali Saeed Bin Harmal Al Dhaheri, ADNEC’s Managing Director, said that events such as IDEX, which attract a large and growing international audience, helped to establish and reiterate partnerships, among the nations of the world.
“Since 1993, when Abu Dhabi staged its first IDEX, the show has grown exponentially in size but also more importantly, in global significance, thanks to the guidance from the UAE leadership as well as the incredible support from all of regular IDEX attendees. I believe events such as IDEX underline the UAE’s and Abu Dhabi’s stature as a global business hub.”
Al Dhaheri also acknowledged the role of the UAE Armed Forces, with whom ADNEC works in close partnership with, to present IDEX – the largest tri-service defense exhibition in the Middle East & North Africa region.
