IDEX, International Defence Exhibition, Abu Dhabi IDEX 2027 18th International Defence Exhibition Book stand space Menu
The main exhibition hall at IDEX, ADNEC Abu Dhabi, with a full-size missile suspended above a crowded floor and the Electronic Warfare and Land Systems halls behind

Land, sea and air.
One venue. Five days.

The only tri-service defence exhibition in the Middle East. In 2025 it brought 1,565 exhibiting companies and 206,073 visitors to ADNEC Abu Dhabi, and closed AED 25.15 billion in announced agreements.

Book stand space Register as a visitor
Dates25–29 Jan 2027
VenueADNEC Abu Dhabi
Edition18th
Doors open in155 days
Floor space70% booked

Start here

Four people come to this site. They want four different things.

Nobody arrives at idexuae.ae to browse. They arrive with a job: sell from a stand, get through the door, arrange a delegation, or file copy.

An armoured personnel carrier on the exhibition floor with two visitors in discussion beside it
01 / Exhibit

Book stand space

Shell scheme, space-only and chalet options across the exhibition halls, the marina and the outdoor demonstration area. Hall and location preference is allocated in booking order.

Reserve space70% already booked
Visitors beneath the wing of an uncrewed aerial vehicle on the exhibition floor
02 / Visit

Register to attend

Free trade registration for defence, security and government professionals. Every registration is approved individually, and IDEX is not open to the general public.

Check eligibilityOpens September 2026
Three delegates examining a scale terrain model of an air-defence deployment at a national pavilion
03 / Delegations

Official delegations

Protocol, invitations, the VIP programme and military attaché liaison, coordinated with the Ministry of Defence. In 2025 IDEX hosted 55 heads of delegation, 48 ambassadors and 65 military attachés.

Protocol officeBy invitation
A presentation under way on the IDEX Talks stage with a seated audience
04 / Media

Press accreditation

Press passes, filming permits and access to the media centre, for accredited defence and trade press.

Apply for accreditationOpens November 2026

The 2025 record

Every number on this page has a source.

These are the closing figures for the 17th edition, published by ADNEC Group on 21 February 2025. They are written into the page, not counted up by a script.

206,073 Visitors Up 55.5% on 2023. 57% international, from 167 countries.
1,565 Exhibiting companies From 65 countries, in 41 national pavilions. 731 exhibited for the first time.
25.15bn Announced agreements, AED 55 deals over five days, up 10% on 2023. 68% awarded to Emirati companies.
181,501 Square metres Up 10% on 2023, across the halls, the marina and the outdoor areas.
+63Visitor NPSGlobal event benchmark +29
+34Exhibitor NPSGlobal event benchmark +8
4.31Exhibitor return on investmentGlobal standard 3.97

Source: ADNEC Group closing press release, 21 February 2025. Figures as published by the organiser. Last verified 23 August 2026.

What tri-service means

Four domains, one procurement conversation.

Most defence shows specialise. IDEX puts land, sea, air and CBRNE capability in the same building in the same week, which is why delegations send joint teams rather than single-service buyers.

A UAE Navy corvette under way at sea with a fast patrol boat alongside

Naval

Surface, sub-surface and port security, co-located with NAVDEX on the ADNEC Marina with vessels alongside.

NAVDEX · ADNEC Marina A stealth uncrewed combat aircraft displayed on a lit plinth, with Emirati visitors alongside

Aerospace

Rotary, fixed-wing, uncrewed systems, counter-UAS and space-based surveillance.

156 start-ups exhibited in 2025 Self-propelled artillery and armoured vehicles in the outdoor display area with Capital Gate behind

Land

Armoured platforms, artillery, soldier systems and logistics, with a live demonstration area outside the halls.

Outdoor demonstration area The CBRNE Hub pavilion with response personnel and decontamination equipment on display

CBRNE

Detection, protection and response for chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive threats.

Dedicated CBRNE Hub

The week

Five programmes running alongside the floor.

Each has its own audience and its own access rules. Where a programme needs a separate registration, it says so here rather than three clicks in.

NAVDEX

The naval defence exhibition, co-located on the ADNEC Marina with vessels alongside. Ninth edition.

Included International Defence Conference

Ministerial and chief-of-staff level policy sessions. More than 1,800 delegates attended in 2025.

Separate ticket IDEX NXT

The innovation and emerging-technology zone for start-ups, research institutions and future concepts.

Included IDEX & NAVDEX Talks

Open-floor sessions with policymakers, researchers and industry leaders, throughout the week.

Included CBRNE Hub & Innovation Trail

A dedicated CBRNE zone, and a curated route through the halls linking the most significant products.

Included

30% of the floor remains

Stand allocation closes before the build period.

Seventy per cent of 2027 exhibition space was reserved before the 2025 edition closed. Hall and location preference is allocated in booking order.

Enquire about stand space Download the floor plan

Organised by

A government exhibition, run commercially.

OrganiserADNEC Group
In association withUAE Ministry of Defence
In association withTawazun Council
Strategic partnerEDGE Group

Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates. Higher Organising Committee chaired by HE Major General Pilot Faris Khalaf Al Mazrouei.