UMEX

Name: UMEX
Start: Tue, 01/20/2026 - 12:00
End: Thu, 01/22/2026 - 12:00

Middle-East and Africa
United Arab Emirates

Date 20 – 22 Jan 2026
Event type In person
Location Al khaleej al arabi street Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

A leading international exhibition and conference dedicated to unmanned and autonomous systems, UMEX brings together military, government, industry, and technology leaders to showcase and discuss the latest innovations in unmanned platforms and intelligent systems.

Thales will join global leaders, innovators, and decision-makers at the sixth edition of UMEX Abu Dhabi, the only event in the Middle East dedicated to advancing unmanned systems. Our teams will engage with top-tier decision-makers, industry professionals, and innovators driving the future of unmanned systems across defence, commercial, and dual-use sectors.

Thales Emarat Technologies is fully owned by Thales under the Tawazun Economic Program, specialising in building local defence and digital aerospace capabilities. Founded in 2019, it is a strategic local defence asset that plays a vital role in advancing the UAE’s vision for national sovereignty through trusted innovation and industrial excellence.

Thales Emarat Technologies provides a wide range of critical defence and technology services to the UAE. A new state-of-the-art Radar Production Facility is planned as an expansion of the Radar Centre of Excellence, to locally produce advanced Ground Master air surveillance radars in the UAE for domestic and global export. The facility is expected to be fully operational by 2027, enhancing the UAE’s sovereign and manufacturing capabilities.

Thales is a key asset to the local ecosystem of the UAE, nurturing local partnerships and investing in local businesses.

The Thales ‘Go to UAE’ initiative, launched in partnership with the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology and Tawazun, is channeling AED 600 million in work packages to over 20 certified local suppliers. The program promotes 'Made in the Emirates' products and expertise globally, while fostering skilled local talent and integrating UAE-based companies into Thales’s global value chains to meet both domestic and export market needs.

Thales works closely with Tawazun, GAL, Strata, and EDGE amongst others, fostering advancements across industries and reinforcing a shared commitment to cutting-edge solutions.

Alongside Emirates Airlines and other global aviation leaders, Thales is a founding member of the Aviation X Lab, a bold and ambitious aviation-specific incubator. The lab aims to positively impact the lives of one billion people, developing innovative solutions for a more sustainable, efficient, and passenger-centric aviation industry.