Middle East Naval Commanders Conference (MENC) Discusses Future of  Maritime Security

The Middle East Naval Commanders Conference (MENC), held on the second day of the ongoing DIMDEX 2026, brought together  senior naval commanders, defence officials, strategic experts and academics to address key issues shaping the future of maritime security.

The conference, held in the presence of  Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan bin Ali Al Thani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs, was organised in collaboration with the Joaan Bin Jassim Academy for Defence Studies.  Lt. Gen. (Pilot) Jassim bin Mohammed Al Mannai, Chief of Staff of Qatar Armed Forces, high-level delegations, ministers, ambassadors, and naval commanders were among those who attended what is one of the highlights of the biennial event.

"In this ninth edition of the Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference (DIMDEX), the conference is being held under the theme 'Defence Diplomacy and Maritime Security Challenges' to underscore the importance of the close interconnection between defence diplomacy and maritime security, and how this nexus can be leveraged to enhance regional and international security and stability," said Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan bin Ali Al Thani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs. "Recent experiences have demonstrated that military power alone is insufficient to address today's challenges, whether regional conflicts, transnational threats, or non-traditional risks such as cybersecurity, terrorism, and the protection of maritime routes and global supply chains. Here, defence diplomacy emerges as a platform for dialogue, partnership-building, and the strengthening of cooperation among all relevant stakeholders. Regional security cannot be achieved in isolation from dialogue, nor can it be sustained without genuine partnerships founded on the principles of sovereignty, good neighbourliness, and adherence to international law. From this perspective, today's conference constitutes a strategic platform for realizing this vision.”

Brigadier General (Dr) Rajeh Mohammed bin Aqeel Al-Nabet, President of the Joaan Bin Jassim Academy for Defence Studies, welcomed the gathering. “The Qatar Armed Forces believe maritime security is a shared responsibility that requires parallel coordination and cooperation, as well as the building of trust-based partnerships and the exchange of expertise in a manner that serves the security and stability of the region,” he said. “Security challenges in the maritime domain are no longer confined to specific geographic areas or traditional frameworks; rather, they have become transnational and interlinked in their impact, requiring comprehensive approaches that combine hard power with diplomatic tools, and that place emphasis on collective action and multilateral and multinational coordination,” he added.

Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, Minister of State at the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, spoke during the first session. “Maritime security today extends far beyond naval power alone — it is an integrated endeavour that links diplomacy, defence, trade, food security, and regional stability,” he said.

Moderated by Adrian Finighan, the first session featured Rear Admiral Hughes Lyne, Commander of the French Joint Forces in the Indian Ocean, Luciano Zaccara, Visiting Professor at Georgetown University in Qatar, as well as Commodore Dan Thomas, Component Commander of the UK Maritime Component Command (UKMCC) in the Arabian Gulf and Deputy Commander of the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF).

The second session featured insights from Brigadier General Ramzan Hamad Al Naimi, Head of Qatar's NATO OCC Program,  David B. Des Roches, Professor of Practice at the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies (NESA), Ali Baker, Professor of International Affairs, Security, and Defence at Qatar University, and Dr. Hassan Jouni, Retired Brigadier General (Staff) at the American Institute for Anti-Corruption in the Middle East.