King inaugurates, tours SOFEX 2014

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah, the Supreme Commander of the Jordan Armed Forces (JAF), on Tuesday inaugurated the 10th Special Operations Forces Exhibition (SOFEX) 2014.

The exhibition brings together 371 world-renowned exhibitors in the fields of defence, homeland security and counterterrorism from about 41 countries.

After the opening ceremony, King Abdullah toured the pavilions of the exhibition, which showcase security equipment and technologies. The expo is held at King Abdullah I Airbase in Marka.

The Monarch also visited the King Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau's (KADDB) pavilion and was briefed on vehicles developed by the bureau. His Majesty was also briefed on equipment and solutions on display by the participating exhibitors.

SOFEX was opened in the presence of several Royal family members, high-ranking officials and officers from the Kingdom and across the world.

In a speech at the opening, SOFEX Managing Director Amer Tabbaa said SOFEX is much more than a conference and an exhibition.

“It is a melting pot where the world’s foremost experts and developers from the global defence industry and governmental decision makers from the international community share perspective and gain insight on the latest trends and innovation,” he said.

The event is also a platform for discussing the emerging technologies that will serve as the foundation for the modern armies of tomorrow, said Tabbaa.

At the exhibition, the King attended military drills and parades.

On the sidelines of the exhibition, His Majesty met with heads of delegations, defence ministers and CEOs of the companies taking part in the event, which lasts through May 8.

Established in 1999 by a Royal Decree, KADDB is an independent government entity within the JAF that supplies efficient and cost-effective scientific and technical research, and development services in defence, security and automotive industries.