Idex: Warships sail in for Abu Dhabi's defence fair

Several naval vessels sail to Abu Dhabi's National Exhibition Centre

Vessel participating in next week's Naval Defence Exhibition (Naxdex) sail through the Mussaffah channel to berth at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre marina. All photos by Victor Besa / The National

Scores of vessels arrived on Thursday.

Crew on one of the vessels.

Crew of one ship prepare to disembark.

Naxdex is part of Idex, one of the region's largest defence fairs.

Crew of the RBNS Al Muharraq.

The vessels sailed through the Mussaffah channel with Abu Dhabi in the background.

The defence fair features live drills.

The vessels sailed past Abu Dhabi landmarks such as the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.

The ships were welcomed by a UAE band on arrival. Victor Besa / The National

Several warships have arrived in Abu Dhabi ahead of Sunday's major defence fair.

The ships steamed down the city's Mussaffah channel to their berths at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec).

At least five ships made the journey on Thursday including an Emirati vessel and one from Pakistan.

Images of the voyage showed the vessels sailing past Abu Dhabi landmarks such as the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.

They were met with a reception and band on arrival.

The arrival of vessels marks the final preparations before the opening of the International Defence Exhibition (Idex) and the Naval Defence Exhibition (Navdex) on Sunday.

Idex is the region's biggest defence fair displaying the most advanced military hardware on the planet where billions of dirhams of deals are usually sealed. The five-day biennial event features hundreds of defence companies, live military drills and aerial displays from Al Fursan, the UAE's aerobatics team.

It will be the first major in-person exhibition held in Abu Dhabi since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out. Teams at the sprawling complex are working 24 hours a day, seven days a week to make sure the event is a success.

Final preparations for Idex - In pictures