ABU DHABI, 13 February 2005 — The Gulf Arab states are turning to state-of-the-art technology to keep at bay insurgents from nearby Iraq or a spread of Al-Qaeda violence, military experts said yesterday.

They said Gulf officials have a growing appetite for the latest satellite imagery and advanced surveillance systems at the seventh International Defense Exhibition and Conference (IDEX), the Middle East’s largest arms bazaar held with more than 900 military exhibitors in the United Arab Emirates.

“(Attacks) are becoming more and more powerful, producing devastating consequences for the region and country security,” UAE Air Force Commander Khaled Al-Buainnain told the conference.

“We must carefully watch the lessons (of) Iraq to learn the best approach to ... issues that threaten the region and country security.”

Insurgents have carried out daily attacks in Iraq. Neighboring Arab states face Al-Qaeda-linked violence.

Border security is an increasingly high priority for Gulf states, said Maj. Gen. Arthur Denaro, an adviser to British military equipment maker JCB.

“The Kuwaitis ... believe there is a huge threat of insurgents crossing the border. All the other Gulf states would be wise to think along similar lines,” Denaro said. “There is no question that people are not buying large tanks and large artillery guns any more. They are looking at (border surveillance) kit that is much more maneuverable.”

Brig. Obaid Al-Ketbi, the spokesman for the show which will run until Feb. 17, said IDEX 2005 would provide an opportunity for potential buyers to choose from an array of military equipment designed to counter various threats, including terrorism.

“Many things will be on display at this exhibition that will help countries select what they need to defend themselves, be it against terrorism or other (threats),” Ketbi said.

“One cannot overlook the danger arising from ... the constant threat to the main source of energy, namely oil, and the need to strive to protect the places where it is produced and its supply lines,” Ketbi said.

Defense firms and contractors at IDEX said while no major deals had been struck, Gulf officials showed interest in products to beef up border monitoring.

French electronic group SAGEM said the Gulf was one of its biggest markets for border surveillance products such as its unmanned camera-equipped aircraft that can loiter in the air for 20 hours and scan large areas. “Many Gulf countries have shown interest in the past year in (the aircraft). It’s a very efficient way to observe borders. They want to be sure that there are no problems from terrorism or drug-smuggling,” said Jean-Charles Pignot of SAGEM.

He said SAGEM has sold more than 100 of the aircraft, including some in the Middle East, without giving details.

Michael Hostetter of Boeing Integrated Defense Systems said there was much interest from the Gulf about Network Centric Operations, a technology that allows efficient communication between different bases.

Interest has increased since 2003 after the war on Iraq. “Inquiries have been coming in, mostly from last year. There has been much interest in protecting their borders,” Hostetter said.

Peter Felstead, editor of Jane’s Defense Weekly, said Gulf states were gearing up for a different type of threat.

“We are going into a period of time where there is no major conventional threat. If you are talking about insurgency, it is no good buying more tanks. You are talking about an intelligence-led war,” he said.