Special ops. commanders conference opens in Amman

AMMAN — The 7th Edition of the Middle East Special Operations Commanders conference opened on Monday, on the sidelines of the 10th Special Operations Forces Exhibition (SOFEX 2014), which will be officially inaugurated on Tuesday. 

HRH Prince Feisal on Monday opened the conference on behalf of His Majesty King Abdullah, the Supreme Commander of the Jordan Armed Forces (JAF).

During the ceremony, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff Gen. Mashal Al Zaben highlighted Jordan’s commitment to building partnerships with most world countries in order to overcome challenges and ensure the safety and well-being of the country. 

“We at the armed forces develop and apply measures that effectively address and respond to security threats… Jordan is interested in cooperating with other countries to face regional security challenges…,” Zaben said. 

He underlined the importance of King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Centre, which organises an annual international competition for special operations forces from around the world to enable them to exchange expertise, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

This year’s edition of SOFEX, titled “Special Forces at the Time of Digital Wars”, was organised by the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis and SOFEX management, with the support of the JAF and security apparatuses.  

More than 600 figures representing 52 Arab and foreign countries took part in the conference, including defence ministers, army chiefs, security and special operations officers.

SOFEX Managing Director Amer Tabbaa noted that the biennial exhibition is one of the “success stories” that brings international and regional armies and governments from around the globe together with defence industry experts in Jordan.

“SOFEX develops partnerships for the sake of peace and security for all our nations,” he said, stressing the need to seize the opportunity the event offers to unite all capabilities to bring about peace, security and prosperity to the international community.

Meanwhile, Commander of the US Special Operations Command Centre Maj. Gen. Michael Nagata highlighted the dynamic processes in the global environment, while his Italian counterpart, Maj. Gen. Maurizio Fioravanti, underlined main enabling elements of rescue and search operations.   

At the conference sessions, attended by Prince Feisal and mediated by Prince Sultan Bin Khalid Al Feisal, former chief of the Saudi special marine operations forces, participants discussed the role of the forces in combating terrorism. 

Discussions also covered the state-of-the art military products as well as issues related to training and rehabilitation of armies, Petra reported. 

The Monarch will on Tuesday inaugurate the SOFEX 2014 exhibition, which will run through May 8.

It will be held in a space of 75,000 square metres at the King Abdullah I Airbase near Amman, with local, regional and international companies showcasing the latest special operations and technology equipment.