SARA ALZAABI / WAM (ABU DHABI)

Under the patronage of Lt. General His Highness Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, the ninth edition of the International Exhibition for National Security and Resilience (ISNR) 2026 is set to take place from May 19 to 21 at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi.

Organisers announced the final preparations for ISNR 2026 during a press conference on Wednesday at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi, with this year's edition set to be the largest in the event's history.

Record Growth and New Security Platforms
Major General Dr Ahmed Nasser Al Raisi, Inspector General at the Ministry of Interior and Chairman of the Supreme Organising Committee for ISNR 2026, said the ninth edition of ISNR will bring together government entities, international security organisations, industry leaders, and technology companies to strengthen international cooperation and knowledge exchange in national security and resilience.

He added that ISNR 2026 will witness the launch of several new initiatives, including the AI Security Forum and the Code Breaker Hackathon, alongside the Fire Hub.

He also noted that ISNR 2026 will feature eight core sectors, including homeland security, cybersecurity, commercial security, physical and premier security, fire and safety, policing and law enforcement, critical infrastructure protection, and artificial intelligence (AI) and surveillance technologies.

"Through ISNR 2026, we look forward to strengthening the UAE's position as a trusted global partner in developing national security systems and mitigating risks," he said.

Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, Group CEO of ADNEC Group, described ISNR as "a strategic platform that enhances national readiness to address rapidly evolving challenges at both regional and international levels".

"The event's continuous growth reflects the resilience of the national economy and the exhibition sector's ability to boost the competitiveness of national industries by opening new markets, building strategic partnerships, and transferring and localising knowledge within the country," he said.

According to Al Dhaheri, the number of exhibitors has risen 19% to 253 companies, while exhibition space has grown 17% to 28,000 square metres. National companies make up 60% of exhibitors, international companies 40%, and SMEs 20%. The event will host participants from 37 countries, up 6% from the previous edition, including nine countries taking part for the first time.

"If we look at the number of participating companies this year, we can see a clear increase compared to previous editions, and we expect visitor numbers at this exhibition to be higher than last year. In addition, we have a number of agreements and partnerships that will be announced during the exhibition period, and this is what we are currently focusing on in the lead-up to the event," Al Dhaheri said.

Enhancing Readiness of Security and Police Work
Brigadier General Ahmed Nasser Al Kindi, Director of the Crisis and Disaster Management Department at Abu Dhabi Police General Headquarters, said that Abu Dhabi Police will showcase smart projects and technologies across security, traffic, technology and awareness.

Key highlights include the Disaster Victim Identification Team, WEB-EOC Security Event Management System, Aman platform, Safe City AI System, drones, the Virtual Training Platform, as well as specialised initiatives and interactive presentations.

Brigadier General Dr Omar Mohammed Al Khayal, Director of the Police Sports Association at the Ministry of Interior, said that the launch of the ISNR Fitness Championship for the Civil Defence Challenge and Community Challenge categories seeks to support physical readiness, teamwork and discipline. He added that 60 teams will compete in the Firefighters category and 46 in the Community category.

The event is organised by ADNEC Group, a Modon company, in association with the UAE Ministry of Interior and in strategic partnership with Abu Dhabi Police General Headquarters.

Rabdan Academy serves as the Academic Partner, Tawazun Council for Defence Enablement is the Strategic Enablement Partner, and the Cyber Security Council is the Cyber Security Partner. Presight is recognised as the AI Industry Leader, Abu Dhabi Convention & Exhibition Bureau is the Destination Partner, PwC is the Knowledge Partner, Secure Life Group is the Gold Sponsor and Aligned Edges is the Silver Partner.

Abu Dhabi Global Sustainable Security Summit 2026
ISNR 2026 coincides with the first edition of the "Abu Dhabi Global Sustainable Security Summit 2026, featuring more than 60 speakers from over 15 countries, alongside a distinguished group of national institutions, international organisations, universities, and think tanks.

Salem Saeed Al-Saeedi, Vice President of Rabdan Academy, said that the summit serves as an international platform bringing together leading security officials, experts, and decision-makers from around the world to discuss the future of security and national preparedness amid rapid technological transformations.

Al Saeedi also noted that the summit programme includes the "Circles of Resilience", a specialised youth platform aimed at empowering young people and engaging them in future-focused discussions related to artificial intelligence, security technologies, and national defence.