New facility for armoured vehicles in Ras Al Khaimah

Ras Al Khaimah - The new state-of-the-art facility consists of a production area covering 35,000 sq m including ballistic glass and laser cutting factories.

His Highness Shaikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, on Tuesday inaugurated an all new facility for producing armoured vehicles.
 
The International Armored Group (IAG), a recognized manufacturer of armored vehicles, armored components and ballistic glass, has launched this new manufacturing facility in the emirate to meet the increasing market demands.

The new facility, located in the RAK Free Trade Zone, saw the presence of high profile CEOs of private entities, ambassadors, military personnel, official government bodies and other high ranking officials.

The new state-of-the-art facility consists of a production area covering 35,000 sq m including ballistic glass and laser cutting factories. The facility will be producing 150 vehicles a month thus increasing the current production volume by 40 per cent.

It also consists of a fully sheltered stock area that can store up to 600 armored vehicles. The facility will be carrying out the following operations: OEM chassis disassembling, ballistic steel fabrication, painting, upholstery, suspension and other systems upgrading, ambulance conversions, tactical armored vehicles engineering and production, testing and training.

Ramy Jallad, acting CEO, RAK FTZ, said the new production facility is an important milestone not only for IAG but also for RAK FTZ. "It characterises the company's incredible journey in the free zone's business-friendly environment."

"Our clients' success is also our success, so we dedicate most of our time in sustaining the growth of our over 8,000 companies through our developing premier business solutions and services."

Dr Anton Stefov, President & CEO, IAG, said according to recent reports from the defense and military industry, top-line defense spending in the Middle East and North Africa, led by Saudi Arabia and the Emirates, will top US$120 billion per year by 2016.

"We see great potential in the region and globally, especially since there is a great demand for superior quality and high performance armored vehicles. In order to meet these increasing demands, we decided to strategically shift into bigger and more efficient manufacturing facility."

At the opening, IAG also showcased new products such as the Guardian Extreme, a customizable 12 military personnel carrier with B7 ballistic and blast resistance, and utilizing IAG's latest patented technologies and newly engineered suspension system, offering extreme off-road capability, survivability and commercial compatibility; and a new custom engineered Armored Water Cannon vehicle providing an excellent solution for firefighting and riot control.

ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com

• Ras Al Khaimah