Qatar cancels major defense trade conference as coronavirus fears spread
/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-mco.s3.amazonaws.com/public/A2T3OK6XRRGX3MUW72IFUWII7M.jpg)
A visitor walks past a helmet during the opening of DIMDEX in Doha, Qatar, on March 12, 2018. (Karim Jaafar/AFP via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON — The Qatari government announced March 3 that the Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference, or DIMDEX, is now canceled as the region combats the spread of the new coronavirus known as COVID-19.
DIMDEX is among the first major defense trade shows canceled as the virus has shown signs of community spread in the Arabian Gulf region, though several high-profile companies pulled out of the Singapore Airshow due to virus fears.
/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-mco.s3.amazonaws.com/public/AHCMGRJPFVAI7GK4DXS5AZSCFQ.jpg)
US and South Korea may scale back joint military exercises over coronavirus fears
Cancellation of joint exercises on the Korean peninsula has fanned worries by national security experts and lawmakers that U.S. forces and their South Korean allies are ill prepared to handle a crisis or conflict orchestrated by North Korea.
The biannual event, hosted by Qatar’s armed forces, in 2018 hosted about 13,000 attendees, according to a news release. The announcement was made on the DIMDEX website.
“Following the cancellation of a number of global events including the Mobile World Conference in Spain, ITB in Germany and the Geneva International Auto Show, the DIMDEX 2020 organising committee has been consulting with public health officials and the Government of the State of Qatar regarding the status of the event,” the announcement read.
“Though the risk to the general public in Qatar remains low, our primary concern remains the health and welfare of all residents and visitors to Qatar and for this reason the event will no longer be held,” it added.
The number of cases of COVID-19 in Qatar stood at three, as of March 2, according to the World Health Organization, but there have been about 1,000 cases in Iran. In the United Arab Emirates, the WHO has determined that, while the number of cases is just about 20, the virus appears to be spreading in the community.
Bahrain and Kuwait have about 50 cases each, while Iraq has about 20.
