Naval vessels from France, India, Italy, Morocco, Pakistan, the UK and the US have arrived in Qatar this week, signaling the start of the fifth Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition & Conference (DIMDEX).

During the 2014 edition of the biennial show – which is not open to the public – Qatar signed agreements to purchase some US$24 billion in arms. Since then, lower oil prices have eroded government revenues and prompted cuts in public spending, although some analysts have said military budgets in Qatar and other GCC states are unaffected.