Jordan Times
Wednesday, April 28, 2004
King opens SOFEX 2004
By Khalid Dalal
AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday inaugurated the Special Operations
Forces Exhibition, SOFEX 2004, at which 32 countries and more than 200
international and regional firms are taking part.
Taking place at the King Abdullah I Air Base, the three-day fair displays
wide-ranging state-of-the-art defence, security and anti-terrorism arms as well
as military vehicles and aircraft.
King Abdullah, the Supreme Commander of the Jordan Armed Forces, toured the
exhibit after national special operations troops displayed their military
equipment and conducted combat manoeuvres and parachuting. Anti-terrorism forces
were applauded after staging a hostage-rescue drill.
“They did it in a very professional way. They are well trained,” said Willem
Steljlen, defence attachÈ at the Dutch embassy in Amman.
According to Major General Hamad Ben Ali El Atya, the Qatari army chief, SOFEX
2004 is offering delegations “an excellent opportunity to exchange expertise in
military field.”
On the sidelines of the exhibition, Spain provided the Jordan Armed Forces with
two CASA C295s. HRH Prince Faisal, commander of the Royal Jordanian Air Force,
received the transport aircraft at a handover ceremony attended by the King.
Participating countries included Bahrain, Britain, Egypt, France, Germany,
Japan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, UAE, UK and the US.
The opening ceremony was attended by Prince Faisal, the chairman of the Higher
Steering and Supervising Committee for SOFEX 2004, HRH Princess Aisha, HRH
Prince Rashid, Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Faisal Fayez, Royal Court
Minister Samir Rifai, Lower House Speaker Abdul Hadi Majali, Chairman of the
Joint Chiefs-of-Staff General Khaled Sarayreh and Director of Public Security
Department General Tahseen Shurdum.
King Abdullah, meanwhile, met yesterday several Arab and foreign defence
ministers and senior military officials who are taking part in the event. The
King met British Minister for Defence Procurement Lord Bach, Sudanese Defence
Minister Bakri Saleh, US Commander of Special Operations Brigadier General Gary
Harrell, British Commander of Special Operations Brigadier Jonathan Shaw and
Qatari army chief. King Abdullah said SOFEX has become a forum for expertise
exchange and military technical cooperation.