UAE aims to be major defence industry player

The UAE is determined to build a sovereign product market for its domestic use as well as for export, said Faisal Al Bannai, Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of Edge Group – ranked among the top 25 military suppliers in the world.

“We are ultra-determined to show that we can build a sovereign product to serve our nation and to be able to send to our allies and friends,” Al Bannai said during the inaugural International Defence Industry, Technology and Security Conference (IDITSC) in Abu Dhabi.

He noted the focus will be on building partnerships with different countries, which can “complement each other” by providing required solutions.

Al Bannai pointed out that six-folds international contracts have been secured in the past 18 months, the highest ever, which indicates that the UAE is on the right path to grow globally.

He said the UAE aims to be a global player in advanced military technology.

“We are determined to be known in three key fields: autonomous, electronic warfare and smart weapons.”

Al Bannai pointed out ambitions to build ‘brand UAE’ in the advanced technology and defence sector.

“We are learning from the best practices of other nations, but we are creating our own operating model. We want to be the reference model in the future.”

He stressed that the biggest challenge remains finding and attracting the right talent.

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