At DIMDEX 2026 in Doha, Qatar turned its home‑turf naval show into a live demo of how fast unmanned surface vessels are moving from concept art to frontline kit. While Qatari companies rolled out new drone boats and the Qatar Emiri Coast Guard showed off fresh hardware, one regional player was conspicuously absent: Iran, which skipped the expo after a bruising year of external strikes and domestic turmoil.
The result was a floor that felt less like a traditional arms bazaar and more like a statement about where Gulf maritime power is heading. Qatari industry, backed by foreign partners, leaned into modular USVs, armed patrol drones, and networked surveillance, even as a Patriot missile canister tied to a June 2025 strike on Iran sat on display as a reminder of how quickly these technologies are reshaping deterrence in the Gulf.
Qatar’s USV push takes center stage in Doha
The core message from At DIMDEX 2026 in Doha was simple: Qatar wants to be known not just as a buyer of naval tech, but as a producer of unmanned systems tailored to its own waters. Qatari officials and industry teams used the show to highlight a surge of unmanned surface vessels, positioning local firms as central to a broader effort to bolster maritime security around Qatar and the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, a critical hub for Western air power in the region, as captured in video from At DIMDEX. That same showcase of At DIMDEX in Doha, Qatar, underscored how unmanned platforms are being woven into coastal defense concepts rather than treated as side projects, with Qatari planners talking up persistent surveillance and rapid response in crowded sea lanes, as seen again in footage from At DIMDEX.
One of the most visible local players was the Qatari company Performance Marine, which leaned into that narrative with a pair of new hulls. Its Ghost 7 and AUSV 39 platforms were introduced as modular unmanned boats designed for roles ranging from armed escort to reconnaissance, with the AUSV 39 already put through trials with the naval arm of Qatar’s armed forces, according to a detailed rundown of the Qatari firm’s portfolio in Performance Marine. The same analysis set those boats alongside other unmanned assets, including Aerial systems like BAHA with a wingspan of 3.70 m (12.1 ft) and endurance tuned for “sub‑cloud” surveillance, underscoring how surface drones are being paired with airborne sensors in a layered Qatari approach, as laid out in a broader look at Aerial platforms such as BAHA.
Ghost 7, ULAQ and a crowded unmanned field
If there was a single emblem of Qatar’s industrial ambitions at DIMDEX, it was the Ghost 7. Performance Marine introduced this seven‑meter Ghost 7 unmanned surface vessel in Doha as a platform built for both armed and reconnaissance missions, confirming its entry into the USV market and signaling that local yards intend to compete with established foreign suppliers, according to a technical breakdown of the new Ghost 7 from Performance Marine. That same report on Performance Marine’s Ghost 7 at DIMDEX in Doha stressed that the vessel is being pitched first to a lead user before wider operational uptake, a classic playbook for a small yard trying to prove reliability at home before chasing export orders, as echoed in a second briefing on Ghost.
Ghost 7 did not have the floor to itself. Video coverage of Qatari companies unveiling new USVs at DIMDEX 2026 in Doha showed a broader ecosystem of platforms, with Qatar’s defense industry using the show to roll out multiple hulls and new plans to reinforce maritime security, as seen in footage of Qatari firms at Qatari companies. A separate look at USVs at DIMDEX noted that these unmanned boats are proving popular items to show off, with Ghost 7 among the platforms aiming for sea trials this year and Qatari officials openly talking about how USVs fit into coastal defense around Doha, as described in a feature on how USVs are proving popular items at DIMDEX.
Foreign suppliers were just as eager to ride the unmanned wave. Coverage of DIMDEX 2026 highlighted how China Unveils Sharp Shark 10 Armed USV at the show, with China North Industries Corporation, better known as NORINCO, using the event to pitch its own armed USV concepts to Gulf buyers, according to a round‑up of visiting warships and unmanned systems at China Unveils Sharp. On the home front, Qatar’s first ULAQ unmanned surface vessel also broke cover at DIMDEX, with the Qatar Emiri Coast Guard presenting an armed ULAQ tailored to its operational requirements, as detailed in a report on Qatar’s new ULAQ. Video from Dimex 2026 in Daqatar showed the Qatar Coast Guard standing beside the ULAQ display, walking visitors through how the boat fits into patrol patterns, as seen in footage from Dimex. A separate technical note on Qatar’s Coast Guard ULAQ USV Makes Debut at DIMDEX 2026 described the Qatar Emiri Coast Guard’s ULAQ 11 PSV USV as a 12.7 m platform fitted with a 12.7 mm remote‑controlled weapon station, giving the service a compact but heavily armed patrol drone, as laid out in the profile of the Coast Guard ULAQ.
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