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Official IDEX 2009 Conference

Programme

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Changing World: Emerging Threats and New Security Challenges

Under the patronage of His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi & Deputy Commander of the UAE Armed Forces

08:45 Grand opening

Official welcome and opening address
HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al Nahyan, Foreign Minister, UAE (invited)

Chairman's opening remarks
Peter Varnish, UK Industry Expert

Session one: Gulf security issues

09:10 Global strategic trends and threats
Rear Admiral Chris Parry, Former Director General, Development Concepts and Doctrine Centre, UK Ministry of Defence

  • Globalization and state-based politics
  • Transnational risks
  • The Impact of Technology
  • Military Threats to security.
  • Non-Military threats to security
  • The future operating environment.
  • The nature of risk, the pace of change and implications of uncertainty for decision-makers.

    • 09:40 Gulf Security - an overview - political, economic, strategic
    Ahmed Al-Uztath, Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research

  • Political change in the US - the implications of Pres Obama and the US 'Security Guarantee'
  • Israel-Palestine - The key to Middle East peace?
  • Continuing reliance on oil-based economies - price fluctuation
  • Economic Downturn - pressures of globalisation
  • Haves and Have Nots - the influence of Iran

    • 10:10 Beyond Oil - security implication for the Gulf and the world beyond
    Guy Anderson, Editor, Jane's Industry Quarterly

  • US drive to reduce oil dependence
  • Consequences for US allies - NATO and Middle East
  • Alternative fuels
  • Impact for acquisition programmes

    • 10:30 Q & A and refreshment break

    11:00 Satellite Systems: Their advantages in times of disaster and crisis in the Gulf Region
    Maj Dr Eng Mohammed Nasser Alahbabi, General HQ, UAE Armed Forces

  • Interagency cooperation
  • Net Centric concepts
  • Transformation towards NEC
  • Yahsat System overview and services

    • 11:30 UAE efforst in facing the contemporary security threats
    Col Dr. Abedalla Ali Bin Sahoo, Abu Dhabi Police

  • Regional tensions
  • Internationalisation
  • Terrorism - terrorist funding
  • Non-state actors - the growing threat
  • Impact military and policing relationship - Co-ordination

    • 12:00 Q & A

    12:20 Lunch

    Session two: International terrorism

    13:30 The protection of infrastructure in theory's practice
    Staff Colonel Yousef Mal Allah Al Hammadi, Executive Director of Support Services Sector, Critical National Infrastructure Authority

  • Critical infrastracture
  • The need for risk mitigation
  • Recent history of critical infrastructure risk
  • Safety and security risk mitigation

    • 14:00 Differing Approaches to countering extremism - extinction or engagement
    Hassan Fattah, Deputy Editor, The National UAE

  • The changing nature of Islamist Terrorism
  • Is there a clash of civilisations - culture, ethnicity, ignorance
  • The Gulf experience of confronting the challenge
  • Is the Gulf being complacent
  • Are western approaches helping or hindering

    • 14:30 Balancing Resilience with the needs of Open Societies -
    including the role of the Media, Propaganda and the challenges of bringing Terrorists to Justice
    Professor Phil Taylor, Professor of International Communications, University of Leeds, UK

  • The Western propaganda war - is the West winning 'hearts and minds' in the Arab world
  • Perception and Perspective
  • The Oxygen of Publicity - openness v denial of infosphere
  • Pursuing 'A Long War' propaganda strategy

    • Session three: Security implications of Gulf nuclear energy programmes

    15:00 Tackling Nuclear Non-Proliferation - Gulf issues
    Mark Fitzpatrick, Senior Fellow for Non-Proliferation, International Institute for Strategic Studies, UK

  • Analysis of state of Iran's nuclear programme
  • Accepting Iran's Uranium Enrichment
  • The failure of Western strategy
  • Is Iran encouraging wider proliferation
  • Consequences for Gulf nuclear energy programmes

    • 15:30 Systems appraoch in settling teh problem of Nuclear Terrorism
    Mr Antonovich Kushnir, Russian Federal Nuclear Centre - VNIIEF

    16:00 Q & A

    16:30 Chairman's concluding remarks and Close of Conference
    Peter Varnish, Chairman