Dubai Air Chiefs Conference Opens Under UAE Leader's Patronage

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 19 (Bernama) -- The 12th Dubai International Air Chiefs Conference has opened under the patronage of United Arab Emirates (UAE) Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

UAE Minister of State for Defence Affairs, Mohamed bin Mubarak bin Fadhel Al Mazrouei officiated the event, which gathered more than 100 official delegations at Atlantis – The Palm, Dubai, according to a statement. 

Senior officers from the Ministry of Defence, air force commanders, chiefs of staff from allied nations, as well as decision-makers and executives from leading defence, aviation, advanced technology, space and artificial intelligence (AI) companies were also present.

Organised by the UAE Ministry of Defence in partnership with ADNEC Group, the conference was held under the theme “Hypersonic Edge: Re-Envisioning Airpower Across Asymmetric Spaces”.

The three-day conference featured in-depth sessions addressing the future of air and space capabilities, AI, and next-generation warfighter standards. The first session, “Hypersonics, UAVs, and Artificial Intelligence: Adapting Airpower to Asymmetric Battlespaces”, brought together commanders from the UAE, United States, France, and Canada to discuss coalition agility and emerging operational challenges.

The second session, “Beyond the Atmosphere: Integrating Air and Space Capabilities for Strategic Superiority”, explored the integration of air and space operations, with insights from senior leaders from France, the UAE, Australia, and India.

The final session, “The Warfighter of Tomorrow: Standards, Artificial Intelligence, and Accountability in Next-Generation Airpower”, focused on future force development, recruitment, and maintaining operational excellence in automated and AI-driven environments. Speakers included chiefs of the Swedish, Italian, and Republic of Korea air forces, alongside academics and defence technology experts.

The conference concluded with an official recognition ceremony and a group photo, reaffirming the UAE’s commitment to fostering international collaboration, advanced airpower capabilities, and technological innovation in defence and aerospace sectors.

-- BERNAMA