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Dubai Airshow 2021: UAE's Ministry of Defence signs Dh5.23 billion worth of contracts

UAE has been procuring the latest technologies to cope with future challenges

Published: Sun 14 Nov 2021, 3:16 PM

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Over 160 advanced aircraft on display as biggest-ever fair opens, Dubai Airshow 2021 began at Al Maktoum International Airport, Dubai World Central, on Sunday with more than 1,200 exhibitors taking part in the five-day show - Photo: M. Sajjad

Over 160 advanced aircraft on display as biggest-ever fair opens, Dubai Airshow 2021 began at Al Maktoum International Airport, Dubai World Central, on Sunday with more than 1,200 exhibitors taking part in the five-day show - Photo: M. Sajjad

The UAE’s Ministry of Defence signed Dh5.23 billion worth of total contracts with global defence suppliers on the first day of the Dubai Airshow 2021.

Major General Staff Pilot Ishaq Saleh Al-Balushi, head of the Executive Directorate of Industries and Development of Defence Capabilities at the Ministry of Defence in the UAE, said a contract was signed with Airbus Defence and Space to procure two for Airbus A330 MRTT for the UAE Airforce. This is in addition to three aircraft which are already in service. The contract was valued at over Dh2.46 billion.


While addressing the press conference on Sunday, Lieutenant-Colonel Sarah Al Hajri, said the UAE’s Ministry of Defence signed a contract worth Dh2.67 billion with Progressive Technologies, two deals with French multinational giant Thales worth Dh32.63 million and a Dh66.11 million contract with American aerospace company Goodrich Corporation.

Sarah said the first Thales contract is related to air communication and the second for supplying spare parts and maintenance.

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The ministry had signed more than $4 billion worth of deals during the last edition of the Dubai Airshow that took place in 2019. The ministry will also announce more contracts to be signed with the global defence companies and suppliers every day at the airshow. It is expected that the total military and defence contracts to be signed this year during the airshow are likely to exceed last year’s figures.

In order to modernise its military, the UAE has been procuring the latest technologies to cope with future challenges. The UAE Armed Forces signed deals with local and international companies worth more than Dh20 billion during the first four days of the International Defence Exhibition (Idex) and the Naval Defence Exhibition (Navdex) in early this year.

-waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com



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