International Defense Conference 2026 highlights autonomy and global security transformation

Abu Dhabi, January 20 / WAM / The activities of the International Defense Conference 2026, hosted by the ADNEC Abu Dhabi Centre, were successfully concluded.

The event witnessed the participation of more than 750 experts and specialists from various countries around the world. Three dialogue sessions led by an elite group of experts discussed the opportunities and challenges of employing intelligent autonomous systems in future fields, emphasizing the growing role of autonomous technologies in formulating modern defense systems.

The sessions addressed the transformative potential of smart, autonomous technologies, while highlighting the complex challenges they pose at the operational and legislative levels. The attendees also engaged in forward-looking discussions that focused on developing more flexible and adaptable defense systems, in addition to strengthening international cooperation channels to support the adoption of these technologies and build more integrated and secure operational environments.

The opening session witnessed the participation of a group of prominent speakers, including His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Al Kuwaiti, Head of Cybersecurity in the UAE; Brigadier General Khamis Al Kaabi, Director of Capabilities Development at the Ministry of Defence; Dr. Najwa Al-Araj, CEO of the Technological Innovation Institute; In addition to Lieutenant General John Nicholson (retired), CEO of Lockheed Martin in the Middle East, the session was moderated by Hala Majeed, Director of the Lockheed Martin Center for Innovation and Security Solutions.

The session highlighted the rapid transformations in the concepts of defense command and control, in light of the growing role of artificial intelligence, data-driven systems, and secure network structures, which are reshaping methods of decision-making, exchanging information, and enhancing trust, while emphasizing that the human element remains at the heart of the process.

His Excellency Dr. Al Kuwaiti began the discussion by emphasizing the centrality of data and the necessity of developing interconnected hybrid platforms, noting that “data has become the main driver of the decision-making process,” highlighting the UAE’s approach that reconciles the requirements of sovereignty with the importance of international partnerships.

His Excellency also stressed that innovation, good governance and capacity development; They represent basic pillars for the future of defense, pointing out that “partnerships are an inevitable necessity, as it is not possible to build an integrated defense or a joint operational picture without them.”

Meanwhile, Brigadier General Khamis Al-Kaabi expressed his support for what was proposed by His Excellency Dr. Al-Kuwaiti, pointing to the rapid growth in the number of connected devices and the accompanying unprecedented flow of data, pointing out that this new reality; It requires the armed forces to develop their capabilities to absorb the huge amount of information and transform it into effective decisions in real time, moving beyond the stage of building the joint operational picture to enabling immediate collaborative decision-making.

The session’s lecturers agreed that the “operational mind” is no longer confined to traditional command rooms, but rather will become distributed across networks, as smart platforms and the human element participate in analyzing data and taking appropriate actions.

The discussion highlighted the critical role of artificial intelligence in accelerating and changing the nature of military decision-making, while emphasizing the importance of human oversight to ensure accurate and ethical outputs.

In this context, Brigadier General Al Kaabi explained that “speed will be a deciding factor; decisions will be made within seconds, not minutes or hours,” stressing that humans will remain the focus of the process, while smart systems will process information and present it immediately to support the decision maker. He added: “Whoever has the advantage of speed will have the advantage in the field of operations.”

While Dr. Al-Araj stressed the importance of the supporting role of artificial intelligence in defense systems, explaining that these technologies do not eliminate the role of the human commander, but rather enhance it.

She said: “Artificial intelligence will not replace the leader. The leader remains primarily responsible for decisions and risks, and the role of artificial intelligence lies in integrating data, supporting decision-making in real time, and contributing to planning and determining the course of action, provided that this is compatible with the requirements of the mission.”

For his part, retired Lieutenant General John Nicholson presented a strategic vision in which he praised the preservation of human judgment within command and control operations, stressing that artificial intelligence is capable of “reducing the level of uncertainty and enabling more accurate decisions, which may contribute to reducing the possibility of conflicts erupting.”

He added that accelerating the decision-making cycle is an important advantage, but trust in information and systems is an essential element, stressing the need for continuous training to avoid falling into the “illusion of certainty.”

The session speakers agreed on the features of a future led by driving systems that rely on artificial intelligence in an integrated manner, without eliminating the role of human expertise. The speakers envisioned a future; It is based on a close partnership between the industrial sector, defense agencies, and policy makers, with the aim of developing more flexible, secure, and robust command networks. They unanimously agreed that smart systems will enhance the capabilities of leaders and speed up their operations, but they will not be a substitute for humans, who will remain the focus of governance, evaluation, and decision-making.

The second session, entitled “Autonomous Force – Integrating Artificial Intelligence into Joint and Tactical Operations,” brought together an elite group of industry leaders and experts in the defense, space and advanced technology sectors, to examine how autonomous systems powered by artificial intelligence are reshaping modern defense operations.

The session was moderated by Hassan Al Hosani, CEO of Intelligent Solutions at Space42, and was attended by retired Vice Admiral Bob Harward, Executive Vice President of SHIELD Artificial Intelligence; Dr. Anastasia McAllister, Technical Director for Autonomy and Artificial Intelligence at General Atomics Aeronautics Systems; Vincent Jekyll, Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer at Thales Emirates Technologies; And Khaled Al Zaabi, President of the Platforms and Systems Group at EDGE Group.

The speakers highlighted the accelerated transformation driven by artificial intelligence in executing tasks and enhancing cooperation and operational efficiency, emphasizing its role as a force multiplier in joint operations across land, air and sea.

Harward pointed to the remarkable practical impact of autonomous technologies, saying: “AI capabilities have already changed the rules of the game… From countering disruption to making the production chain almost instantaneous, these are just a few examples of the radical transformation taking place, and what we are witnessing today is just the beginning.”

He added that the rapid development of artificial intelligence is reshaping the design of defense platforms themselves, explaining: “Technology is now determining what platforms can do, and we will need to develop platforms that keep pace with these capabilities.”

For his part, Al Zaabi stressed the transformative dimension of artificial intelligence, noting its ability to enable a small team to control a wide fleet of diverse platforms across multiple fields. He said: “The goal is to multiply power… Effectively utilizing several platforms at the same time allows for a much greater impact.” He stressed the importance of designing platforms capable of rapid development, noting that systems that do not keep pace with the development of artificial intelligence will retreat from the scene.

Dr. McAllister highlighted the unprecedented speed in data analysis and decision-making provided by artificial intelligence, saying: “Artificial intelligence is an enabling technology… and change moves at the speed of software… we can now process massive amounts of data and turn it into actionable insights.”

While Jekyll stressed the need for human leadership to remain at the center of the operation, stressing that independence must enhance the ability of the human operator to manage the complexity of tasks, he said: “Joint operations develop rapidly and generate a huge amount of data, and artificial intelligence transforms this data into practical inputs that support planning and coordination between different fields.”

He added that integrating artificial intelligence into command and control systems can significantly accelerate the decision-making cycle by providing accurate and recommended insights to commanders.

The session also addressed the challenges associated with accountability and human supervision, stressing that developing regulatory frameworks and advanced training represent the basis for the success of integrating artificial intelligence into defense operations. Harward explained in this context: “Accountability will be a key part of the implementation and of the ways in which artificial intelligence will be designed and the rules governing its deployment.”

Dr. McAllister added: “Humans will not simply press the ‘I agree’ button… without real training during the operations. Incorporating these techniques into training enhances confidence and builds shared mental models between humans and machines.”

At the conclusion of the session, the participants agreed that the future of independent and autonomous operations will not only be built on technical developments, but also on trust, coordination and integrated partnerships across the defense system, to ensure high effectiveness and accountability in an era in which the pace of reliance on artificial intelligence in the fields of operations is accelerating.

The closing session witnessed high-level participation that brought together prominent representatives from regulatory bodies, transport agencies and the industrial sector, including Engineer Aqeel Ahmed Al Zarouni, Assistant Director General of the Aviation Safety Affairs Sector; Dr. Abdullah Hamad Al-Ghufaili, Acting Director General of the Integrated Transport Center; His Excellency Ahmed Ali Belqazi, Executive Director of the Aviation Safety and Environment Sector at the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority; and Angel Martin, Director of Systems Engineering at ASDEV. The session was moderated by Soha Al Dabbagh, Content Manager at ADNEC Group.

The discussions focused on the growing challenge represented by autonomous driving technologies, which are developing at a pace faster than the development of regulatory frameworks and technical standards. The speakers agreed that safety, interoperability and multilateral cooperation represent essential pillars of any legislative system that regulates autonomous driving solutions. The session also emphasized the role of policy makers in establishing trust through transparency, common standards and international coordination.

Al-Zarouni stressed the centrality of transparency and accreditation processes in building trust in independent systems, explaining that trust is not considered a technical characteristic as much as it is the result of “clear system design, transparent operation, and reliable accreditation.” Pointing to the essential role of international organizations, led by the International Civil Aviation Organization, in developing unified global standards.

For his part, Dr. Al-Ghufaili stressed the need to establish trust on the pillars of ethics and accreditation, pointing out the importance of flexible legal frameworks that keep pace with rapid technological development, ensuring the safe operation of self-driving systems and their marketing in a responsible and controlled manner.

As for His Excellency Belqizi, he focused on the importance of involving operators as key partners in the regulatory process, explaining that the success of adopting new technologies requires reducing market resistance through early cooperation, setting clear frameworks for requirements, and enhancing communication between regulatory authorities and suppliers to ensure compliance and the highest levels of safety.

In his intervention, Martin pointed out the need to harmonize regulatory frameworks with procurement and deployment requirements, identifying three pivotal elements, the first of which is ensuring the integrity of the system throughout its entire life cycle, the second of which is achieving interoperability between different systems, and finally, enhancing mutual trust between countries through mutual recognition of certificates and standards, stressing that political consensus is a critical factor in overcoming the regulatory and technical challenges related to autonomous systems.

At the conclusion of the conference, His Excellency Dr. Nasser Al Nuaimi, Secretary-General of the Tawazun Defense Empowerment Council, expressed his deep gratitude to His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chief of the Presidential Office for Special Affairs and Chairman of the Intelligent Autonomous Systems Council, for his generous patronage and continued support for the development process of the defense sector.

His Excellency stressed that artificial intelligence and autonomous systems are no longer emerging technologies, but rather have become basic pillars that are reshaping various components of modern defense systems. He said: “These technologies have become a practical reality, and their impact extends from unmanned systems operating in contested environments, through decision support systems that process huge amounts of intelligence data in real time, all the way to predictive maintenance algorithms that increase the efficiency of operational readiness.”

Dr. Al Nuaimi called for strengthening partnerships between governments, industry and research institutions, accelerating the pace of innovation, and maintaining a firm commitment to the responsible development of these vital technologies, ensuring their readiness, security, and sustainability of their applications in the future.

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