Around 1,000 delegates from the Gulf states are expected to attend the upcoming Bahrain Naval and Maritime conference in January, reported the Gulf Daily News on Saturday.
It will parallel a world-class naval exhibition, the first of its kind to be staged in the Middle East, said the paper.
Security, Prosperity and Environment is the conference theme, and organizers are in the process of finalizing speakers for the event.
Bahrain Naval and Maritime 2002 is organized by Arabian Exhibition Management (AEM), said the paper, adding that the US Navy League will help with the conference.
AEM chairman Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Khalifa said the league would also have a stand in the show.
"The (US) Navy League is a unique civilian organization dedicated to creating awareness of American naval and maritime forces," he explained.
"Its corporate members include Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and Bell Helicopter."
The league, continued Sheikh Mohammed, will soon send a team of representatives to Bahrain to prepare for the event.
Meanwhile, the exhibition product list is expanding beyond merchant shipping and equipment, weapons systems and environmental protection and control technology.
Sheikh Mohammed said the AEM had received inquiries from ferry operators, fisheries, oil firms, port authorities, salvage companies, shipbuilding and repair yards, ship owners, shipping companies and tanker fleet operators.
"More than 70 companies already have confirmed their participation, including Rolls Royce, Sony, GKN Aerospace and GRC Limited," he said.
The event, he added, will also attract national pavilions from the UK, US, France, Australia, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Norway, Holland, Pakistan and Turkey.
The exhibition is coordinated by a steering committee headed by Assistant Undersecretary for Foreign Trade and Promotion Shaikh Daij bin Salman Al Khalifa, the paper said.
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states have recently inked pacts to increase their defense cooperation, and Egypt has made still-unsuccessful overtures to be included – Albawaba.com
