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UAE’s RIG, US-based Merlin sign deal to explore autonomous aviation opportunities
Autonomy offers a pathway to strengthen operational resilience while reducing risk to human aircrews, enabling greater flexibility and persistence across increasingly complex missions
- PUBLISHED: Thu 23 Apr 2026, 3:09 PM UPDATED: Thu 23 Apr 2026, 3:20 PM
US-based aerospace and defense technology company Merlin on Thursday announced an agreement between its subsidiary Merlin Labs and the UAE-based Remah International Group (RIG) to introduce the American company’s autonomy capabilities in the UAE.
The agreement will identify suitable use cases and aircraft platforms for Merlin’s AI-powered autonomy stack.
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RIG, a private company focused on military and commercial products and services, will also play a central role in supporting implementation and long-term sustainment efforts. Remah International Group has been partnering with the UAE Armed Forces for over three decades.
The agreement comes at a time of heightened geopolitical tension and active conflict in the Middle East, which is rapidly reshaping defense priorities and national security strategies.
Autonomy offers a pathway to strengthen operational resilience while reducing risk to human aircrews, enabling greater flexibility and persistence across increasingly complex missions.
The two firms said they aim to jointly advance defense and security priorities across the Middle East.
“The Middle East is a critical region for the introduction of aviation autonomy, driven by its strong adoption of advanced technologies,” said Matt George, CEO and founder of Merlin.
“We are intentionally working with forward-looking countries investing in the future of aviation. RIG’s support of innovation, foreign investment, and national development makes this an ideal exclusive partnership through which we can together assess how autonomy can scale in the UAE and deliver meaningful operational impact across critical platforms and use cases. This collaboration enables us to align autonomy with evolving mission requirements at a time of increasing geopolitical complexity,” he said, adding that aviation autonomy can strengthen operational continuity for firms undertaking complex and high-risk missions.
Damian Killeen, advisor to the chairman of RIG, said the UAE is a leader in technological evolution and that they are bullish on aerospace autonomy.
“It is essential for autonomy to be reliable and certified across both general aviation and military operations. With Merlin’s autonomy — which is currently being certified — our collaboration brings trusted autonomy to the region, enables national AI capabilities and sovereign investment, and scales it across the full breadth of aviation roles and missions,” added Killeen.
