Abu Dhabi, Saturday 19th February 2011: His Highness Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, National Security Advisor and Vice Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, inaugurated the Gulf Defence Conference (GDC) at the Abu Dhabi Armed Forces Officers Club.

Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed al Nayhan, and organized by the Institute for Near East & Gulf Military Analysis (INEGMA) on behalf of the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center, the GDC is the official conference of IDEX – the Middle East & North Africa region's largest tri-service defence show. This year, the Gulf Defence Conference addressed emerging threats and novel technologies involved in GCC defence and security industry, through a series of plenary sessions and keynotes delivered by industry experts and leading political figures.

GDC saw record participation with more than 400 delegates in attendance including members of the official delegations visiting IDEX 2011, senior military officials, and key industry partners from across the GCC.