Magnum Blog / Notes from an arms fair

Notes from an arms fair

United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi. The IDEX, the 9th International Defence Exhibition and Conference held at the Abu Dhabi Exhibition Centre. 2009. © Martin Parr/Magnum Photos I have photographed many fairs in my time, but this is the strangest of them all. I am at IDEX (International Defence Exhibition), at the Exhibition Centre in Abu Dhabi, one of the biggest arms fairs on the planet. It is strategically important because Middle Eastern countries are big buyers of arms, but also because the fair is so well positioned to attract delegations from around the world. One is aware of the volatility in the region, hastening defence spending up the agenda of these oil rich States. Over 150 delegations have come here with one thing in mind: to spend their defence budgets on the latest technology. The fair starts on a Sunday, and this is the VIP day. Even on the other days of the fair, getting in is no easy matter: no public allowed, all potential visitors vetted and accredited with great care. VIP day is just like that, with a smattering of the press corps. After the opening ceremony, with singing and dancing from local schoolchildren and the inevitable fly-past, the delegates start cruising round, on a mission to spend. However unlike most fairs I have attended, not one price is displayed. I imagine these prices are very negotiable, depending on quantity ordered and scale of commitment. One thing is certain: everything is expensive. During IDEX 2007, (the fair is biannual) $545 million changed hands. This year however there are reports that contracts of over 20 Billion US dollars are being negotiated.

Brian C. Frank

Schoolchildren sing and dance before people buy weapons? Anyone else find that surreal?

Andrew

If these photographs were stills from a Hollywood action movie, the image of Arab men milling around a rocket for sale would seem to be reinforcing stereotypes. But when it's presented as having been captured by a Magnum photographer, its credibility is greatly increased and a different interpretation surely follows.

We've all been told many times that the United States is the world's largest military spender. But of course as the largest economy in the world, by volume it comes out on top in many, if not most spending categories - development aid, for example. But initial spending facts like that mean little until put in perspective as a percentage of GDP. Although the USA is the world's largest military spender, its rank falls to 27th when it comes to a percentage of GDP. And although they can appear as boring figures, spending percentages tell us something important about a country's priorities, values, and culture.

It's no accident that this IDEX fair took place in the UAE. If you look at a list of countries in terms of military spending as a percentage of GDP (in the CIA World Factbook 2008 for example), the top 7 countries - Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, Israel, and Yemen - are all located in the Middle East.

So when it comes to prioritizing military spending, the Middle East comes out on top. It's in the economic reality of those countries, and therefore must somehow have found its way deep into their culture. But rather than take these pictures and this article at face value, why don't we dig a little deeper and ask the multi-billion-dollar question: why is this?

david bowen

be great to see more work from this series..
anywhere online to do so?

the weird thing about these fairs - recently i photographed the ONS oil fair in norway - is that they may as well be selling caravans, cars or boats..

it is great to see some shame illustrated here, by the guy who does not want his real job known to his family and friends.. i mean.. is this, like, ya´know, REALLY naughty schoolboys at play?

very sad and disturbing..
thanks

gogg

......how the military complex runs its business is a mystery....yes and if we now how they do it, it would scare the shit out of us....but thats (maybe) better than not now?

Daniel S. Pousa

i missed some colors in those pictures... You should not do anymore weapons fairs (it doesn't mach with your colorfull work), but instead, come to Galicia (Spain) to shoot our funny Tourism Exhibition. I really beleve you'd enjoy it much more. Plus, special acreditations for Magnum's photographers are printed every year but noone never comes. :(

(sorry about my english, i lived 2 years in London and only reach to learn some french)