A record RM2.9bil worth of contracts were signed at the Defence Services Asia (DSA) 2016 exhibition, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said.

He said this was a 56% increase from that of DSA 2014.

Speaking at the closing of DSA 2016 yesterday, Hishammuddin said a record 38,000 visitors attended, exceeding expectations by 4,000.

“The exhibition has been evolving for the past 28 years and this year’s programme of concurrent activities, forums and conferen­ces was the most impactful,” he said.

Hishammuddin said DSA 2018 was sche­duled for April 16 to 19.

DSA 2016 was celebrated as the biggest and best to date, with record numbers across the board and a total of 1,200 exhibitors from 60 countries.

Twenty-nine country group pavilions took part , featuring new additions such as Belarus, Bosnia, Canada, the Netherlands, the Russian Federation, UAE and Ukraine.

Among the highlights were the Chief of Arm Roundtable Talks, Cybersecurity Forum, Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Explosive Conference, Humanitarian Assistance and Distaster Relief Conference, and the Putrajaya Forum, which focused on “Regional Cooperation in Addressing Security Challenges”.

Hishammuddin said DSA had evolved into one of the top five defence exhibitions in the world.

It was now a premier platform for industry players to promote products, exchange ideas and technologies, forge partnerships and embark on strategic and synergistic collaborations.

Source : thestar.com.my