His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday attended the opening of the International Defense Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) in Abu Dhabi.



Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces Sheikh Mohammad Ben Zayed Al Nahayan inaugurated IDEX 2005 in a ceremony attended by King Abdullah and Dubai Crown Prince and UAE Defence Minister Sheikh Mohammad Ben Rashid Al Maktoum with around 1000 exhibitors from more than 50 countries, including the US, the UK and France, taking part.



His Majesty King Abdullah toured the exhibition and visited the King Abdullah Design and Development Bureau pavilion and examined displayed products.



IDEX, which established itself as one of the most prestigious defence exhibitions worldwide, is jointly organized by the General Exhibition Corporation (GEC) and the UAE armed forces. A wide range of defence-related products and services and the latest technologies are on show.



Accompanying His Majesty the King in his tour were HRH Prince Faisal, Prime Minister Faisal Fayez and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff General Khalid Sarayreh.



Also on Sunday, His Majesty King Abdullah visited Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahayan's tomb and recited verses of the Holy Quran.