About DSEi
DSEi is a weapons fair and conference of enormous proportions and is one of the world's largest arms exhibitions. The next is scheduled for 13-16 September 2011.
The last event took place in 2009. The ExCel centre, in London's docklands, hosted over 1,000 arms companies which sold anything from small arms to tanks and surveillance to riot control equipment. There were racks of assault rifles and missiles on display and warships docked outside. Astoundingly, however, event owner Clarion actually denies that DSEi is an 'arms fair'!
Around one in three of the world's militaries was at the arms fair, shopping for military equipment. Adversaries browsed alongside each other for weapons to use against each other. Bahrain, Egypt, Libya and Saudi Arabia - each of whom have turned weapons on democracy protesters in 2011 - were all present at the last London arms fair in 2009.
All this took place in secret, behind heavily protected security fences and police lines - designed to allow arms dealers to trade their wares unhindered by transparency or public protest - and subsidised by the UK taxpayer.
The international arms fair circuit plays a pivotal role in the global arms trade, allowing weapons manufacturers an opportunity to promote their products to their customers face to face. Sadly many of those identified as 'key' or 'emerging' markets are in the grip of conflict or with concerning human rights records as these tend to spend a greater proportion of their country's budget on weaponry.
Past invitees to DSEi, which has been running since 1999, include China, India, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Pakistan, Russia, South Africa, Thailand, UAE, and Ukraine. The invitation list for DSEi 2009 is available here.
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