RUSI-Qatar to stage regional maritime security conference in Middle East

Let a thousand flowers bloom. In our context: Maritime security is a major issue for both national security and international commerce, so it is good to see that the newly opened Royal United Services Institute in Qatar (RUSI-Q) is organizing the first International Maritime Defense Exhibition and Conference (DiIMDEX) in Doha in March next year. Colonel Campbell, director of RUSI-Q, said the institute is a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization which guarantees its integrity and lack of political bias. The Doha office is being sponsored by the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Asked why Doha was selected as the destination for the office in the Middle East, Campbell referred to the Qatari Foreign Ministry’s willingness to work together, as well as the central location of the city, and the fact that Qatar has an identity of growth and development, something RUSI-Q wishes to be similarly identified with. Dimdex 2008 is the first dedicated maritime defense conference to serve the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. It is being launched in response to requests from industries which have expressed a desire to have a focused maritime defense event for the region, which is expected to spend $17 billion on new warships over the next decade. The inaugural event will be held from 17 through 19 March, and will enjoy the support of the Qatari Emiri Naval Forces (QENF). The biennial conference will be held in March during even years.

Campbell explained the mission statement of RUSI-Q, describing why the institute has been established in Qatar, and what it aims to achieve: “We are here to conduct research, promote debate, and facilitate dialogue through conference and the like, increase understanding of challenges facing the region and to serve as a repository of knowledge.” He said that the benefits from the institute for Qatar, the region, and Great Britain will be significant, and that by helping Qatar develop, “the institute will gain invaluable insight into the workings of the Islamic world and the region, which will in turn help British development”. He hoped other countries in the region will take note of what is going on here, and in the future, use RUSI-Q to help with their security issues as well. The institute will initially work with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and eventually many other government sectors, regarding the current security issues in the region. Campbell pointed out that things have gone according to plan so far in terms of the office launch. He referred to the continued emphasis on education, something he feels will help Qatar grow, but retain its cultural identity, saying: “To defend a country you need security forces; to defend its culture and civilization you need schools.”