Israel Companies No-Show at IDEX 21

Barred from flying to Abu Dhabi due to Tel Aviv airport closure, Israeli companies marked its presence at the Arab world’s biggest arms fair, IDEX 2021, by a token and virtual presence.

Close to 40 Israeli companies were to attend the exhibition, marking the country’s first participation in any U.A.E. event, after the two were locked in normalization ties few months ago, following years of conflict. But Israel extended a closure of its Ben-Gurion International Airport, essentially banning flights of the U.A.E. and elsewhere.

Many Israeli companies are expected to pull out. The others are looking for alternatives such as participating virtually or marking their presence through partner companies. Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) said it has a booth with visual and interactive displays, and those visiting can connect virtually. Rafael Advanced Defense Systems also has a booth that is being managed by a Spanish subsidiary called PAP Tecnos.