Amman, May 10th, 2010 - Under the Patronage of HRH Prince Feisal Bin Al Hussein, the SOFEX 2010 'Middle East Special Operations Commanders Conference' was launched today at Le Royal Hotel in Amman. Lt. General Mashal Mohammad Al Zaben, chairman of the joint chiefs-of-staff, representing His Majesty King Abdullah II, was the keynote speaker at the Conference, which was attended by a large gathering of over 550 Defense Ministers, Chief of Staffs and Military Dignitaries from 82 countries across the globe.

In his opening speech, Lt. General Mashal Al Zaben, stated, "For over 14 years our country has been proud to host these gatherings, bringing together official high level delegations from all around the world to exchange experiences and ideas, and taking a united stand against terror in order to provide security and a future that all communities around the world desire. By working together we will bring peace and security to the world, but we must also keep in mind that although Special Operations forces are vital to fighting terror, they are not the only weapon - we must understand what drives terror and root it out."

The objective of the Conference is to enhance the capabilities of Special Operations Forces around the world to network for global security and combat global terrorism. The Conference is the opening component of SOFEX 2010, which is followed by an extensive exhibition that commences on May 11th at the King Abdullah I Airbase in Marka.

The conference provided a platform for dialogue, sharing strategies and experiences where senior government decision-makers and security analysts discussed a wide range of issues pertinent to global defense, homeland security and Special Operations. Speakers included high ranking Military Officers and experts in the field from Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Pakistan and the United States of America who covered topics such as war-fighting operations to home defence missions, counterterrorist operations, urban warfare and dismounted close combat.

The Conference was organized by the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis (INEGMA) and supported by the Jordanian Armed Forces. The Conference was sponsored by Eurocopter, an EADS company, and Lockheed Martin.   

Mr. Riad Kahwaji, Managing Director of INEGMA stated, "The best way to keep with the latest technologies and new challenges and solutions is for friends and allies to stay in touch and exchange information on their experiences. This is why we are here today. We have a good line up of speakers who will bring us up-to-date on their experiences with lessons learned that could benefit all of us. Military education and transfer of military experience and expertise has always been the objective of INEGMA conferences in the region."

Mr. Amer Tabbah, Managing Director of SOFEX, stated "The purpose of today's conference is to continue to build on the considerable progress we have made over the years in building bridges between countries, and developing understanding amongst people from around the world on the common threats that face us all, and the importance of working together, government and industry together, in order to overcome these challenges. The power of a gathering like this one lies in its collective wisdom, and for the next four days, we will all be working together and Networking for Global Security in order to establish a better and safer tomorrow for every citizen of the world."

The Conference is being followed by a three day exhibition held at the King Abdullah I Airbase in Marka, where approximately 350 local, regional and international exhibitors will be displaying the latest state of the art equipment and technology used by Special Operations Forces around the world.

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SOFEX
SOFEX is a premier international exhibition and conference that features the largest fully-integrated Special Operations Forces equipment and solutions in the world. Bringing together the world's leading Special Operations and homeland security manufacturers with high-ranking defense officials and government decision makers, SOFEX is a unique global gathering for showcasing the latest counter terrorism and homeland security solutions to combat today's ever increasing security challenges. The 8th edition of the SOFEX series will be held at the King Abdullah I Airbase located near Amman from May 10th to May 13th, 2010. The event is held biennially under the Patronage of His Majesty King Abdullah II and is fully supported by the Jordan Armed Forces.

INEGMA
INEGMA is a Free Zone Limited Liability Company based in Dubai Media City, in the United Arab Emirates. Established in 2001, INEGMA was set up to provide media organizations, think tanks, non-governmental organizations, militaries and governments of the Middle East, and international private companies with various services related to military and strategic affairs. INEGMA has been able to meet just about all objectives required by clients and to the highest standards by utilizing a pool of defense and political experts from around the world backed by teaming agreements with major international organizations. INEGMA organizes some of the major defense conferences in the region like the Dubai International Air Chiefs' Conference (DIAC), the official event of the Dubai Air Show, and the Middle East Missile and Defense Conference (MEMAD), and the Middle East Naval Commanders' Conference (MENC), the official event of Doha International Maritime Defense Exhibition (DIMDEX) in Qatar. It is also organizing the Security Middle East Show (SMES) in Beirut, Lebanon, April 20-22, 2009.

© Press Release 2010