Ambassador Ver Attends International Defense Exhibition and Conference in Abu Dhabi Cites Burgeoning PH-UAE Defense Cooperation

(Left photo) Philippine Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Alfonso Ver (center) with senior representatives of Advanced Military Maintenance Repair and Overhaul Centre (AMMROC), a company under UAE's EDGE defense conglomerate, who have already visited the Philippines for possible partnerships. (Right photo) Amb. Ver, DHM Angeles and DAFA Col. Fernandez exploring the various military hardware on exhibit at IDEX16 including EDGE's latest armored combat wheeled vehicles. (Abu Dhabi PE photo)

ABU DHABI 27 February 2023 – At the 16th International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX16) in Abu Dhabi, Philippine Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Alfonso Ver met with representatives of UAE's defense conglomerate EDGE and discussed ongoing coordination facilitated by the Embassy which contribute towards strengthening of PH-UAE defense cooperation.

IDEX is a leading international defense industry exhibit hosted by the UAE Ministry of Defense every other year, which has become a global platform for sharing knowledge and innovation in defense, now on its 30th iteration. A total of 1,350 companies took part at IDEX16, with official and business delegations coming from 65 countries. 

According to Ambassador Ver, "IDEX has been integral to the strengthening of PH-UAE defense cooperation, as the inauguration of the Office of the Philippine Defense Attaché (OPHILDAFA) in the UAE on February 2021, the Philippines' first such office in the GCC, coincided with IDEX15. Likewise, the Embassy's close coordination with the UAE's defense conglomerate EDGE and the companies under it, was made possible through IDEX."

He added, "In December 2022, a delegation from Abu Dhabi Shipbuilding Company (ADSB), an EDGE company, visited shipbuilding facilities in Balamban in Cebu and Subic Bay. In early February this year, a delegation from Advanced Military Maintenance Repair and Overhaul Centre (AMMROC), also an EDGE company visited the Philippines on an exploratory visit. These were the result of the Embassy's efforts to build strong defense partnerships between the Philippines and the UAE."

"The Philippines and the UAE continue to expand their horizons insofar as areas of bilateral cooperation are concerned, and defense is one of the new and innovative fields of endeavor that we are pushing for. Through the Embassy's efforts, several delegations have visited the Philippines for the UAE side to see the potential of investing and establishing partnerships in our country. Seeing today the technological advancements in the defense industry on exhibit at IDEX16, I have confidence that the Philippines and the UAE, in time, shall further explore this potential,” the Ambassador said.

The Philippines and the UAE are in the final stages of finalizing a Memorandum of Understanding on Defense Cooperation. Likewise, a delegation from the UAE National Defense College is scheduled to be received by the National Defense College of the Philippines within the first quarter of this year. END

Ambassador Ver, DHM Angeles and DAFA with the REACH-S, EDGE's latest unmanned combat aerial vehicle (left photo), and in conversation with a South African defense company that is currently in coordination with the AFP (right photo). (Abu Dhabi PE photo)