Qatar confirms MBDA as Gold Sponsor for DIMDEX 2026 as demand for advanced naval systems grows.

MBDA has been confirmed as Gold Sponsor for DIMDEX 2026, reinforcing the exhibition's status as a key hub for global naval and maritime security leaders. The renewal highlights Qatar's growing defense partnerships and the rising strategic importance of maritime security in the Gulf.

The DIMDEX Organizing Committee confirmed on 18 November that MBDA will return as Gold Sponsor for the 2026 edition of the Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference. The event will take place from 19 to 22 January 2026 at the Qatar National Convention Centre in Doha, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and hosted and organised by the Qatar Armed Forces. Organisers and senior Qatari defense officials described the partnership as a reflection of DIMDEX’s growing influence and the continued demand for integrated air and maritime defense capabilities across the Gulf region, citing the evolving operational pressures facing regional navies and the increasing complexity of modern missile threats.
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MBDA becomes Gold Sponsor of DIMDEX 2026 in Doha, reinforcing its partnership with Qatar and spotlighting advanced naval missile capabilities. MBDA at DIMDEX 2024 (Picture source: Global Defense Insight).

The sponsorship agreement was signed at Qatar’s Ministry of Defence by Staff Brigadier (Sea) Abdulbaqi Saleh Al-Ansari, Chairman of the DIMDEX Organising Committee, and Toby Broughton, General Manager of MBDA Qatar, in the presence of HE Lt Gen (Pilot) Jassim bin Mohammed Al Mannai, Chief of Staff of the Qatar Armed Forces. Their participation underscores how DIMDEX has evolved into a strategic platform where senior military leaders, policymakers, and industry executives turn high-level dialogue into tangible cooperation and long-term defence programs.

MBDA’s renewed Gold Sponsorship goes beyond branding and ceremony. As the only European group capable of designing and manufacturing complex weapon systems across land, sea, and air domains, MBDA sits at the heart of many NATO and partner-nation air defence and anti-ship architectures. Its longstanding partnership with the Qatar Armed Forces has supported Doha’s efforts to field modern missile capabilities that can protect coastal infrastructure, maritime approaches, and critical national assets. For Gulf navies facing dense maritime traffic, evolving air and missile threats, and growing unmanned systems activity, MBDA’s portfolio directly addresses operational requirements for precision, range, and layered defence.

In his statement, Lt Gen Al Mannai framed the sponsorship within a wider security landscape marked by “complexity, interdependence, and rapid transformation,” stressing that enduring partnerships, innovation, and shared purpose are now essential to stability. Brigadier Al-Ansari, speaking for the Organising Committee, highlighted MBDA’s return as a sign of mutual trust and a confirmation of DIMDEX’s role as a gateway for international defence cooperation, investment, and technology transfer. Their messages resonate with a broader regional reality in which maritime security in the Gulf is increasingly critical to global energy flows and trade routes.

For MBDA, DIMDEX 2026 will serve as a high-impact showcase for its latest missile and coastal defense technologies to a concentrated audience of naval chiefs, procurement authorities, and defence planners. While specific displays have not yet been detailed, the company is expected to underline integrated air and missile defence concepts, shipborne and coastal anti-ship solutions, and networked command-and-control architectures that reflect current trends in multi-domain naval warfare. As General Manager Toby Broughton noted, the Gold Sponsorship reaffirms MBDA’s commitment to Qatar and its intention to remain a key contributor to the country’s long-term defense planning.

DIMDEX itself continues to grow in strategic weight. Recognised as one of the leading maritime defence exhibitions worldwide, it combines a large-scale exhibition with high-level conferences and Navy-to-Navy engagement. The presence of sponsors such as Estithmar Holding, Vodafone, Boeing, and CAE illustrates how the event extends beyond shipyards and missile manufacturers to include connectivity, training, simulation, and cross-sector investment, reflecting the increasingly integrated nature of modern naval power.