UAE enhances manufacturing through industrial excellence

Tawazun Council and Thales have signed a cooperation agreement to locally produce advanced Ground Master series air surveillance radars.

This agreement supports the UAE’s vision to boost local manufacturing and develop national defence capabilities.

The signing took place on the second day of the “Make it in the Emirates 2025,” with Matar Ali Al Romaithi, Sector Chief of Defence and Security Industry Affairs at Tawazun Council, and Abdelhafid Mordi, CEO of Thales in the UAE, in attendance alongside representatives from both sides.

This reflects Thales’ commitment to supporting the UAE’s vision of advancing manufacturing capabilities through innovation and industrial excellence.

The Ground Master radars are internationally recognised for their reliability, superior performance, rapid deployability, and adaptability to diverse missions, positioning them amongst the world’s leading air surveillance and defence systems.

The facility is scheduled to be fully operational by 2027, where it will assemble, test, and qualify advanced air surveillance radars to meet both domestic and export markets’ needs.

The factory will serve as a strategic asset, bolstering the UAE’s defence manufacturing capabilities, enhancing self-sufficiency in critical technologies, and providing flexibility to address varying operational requirements.

A core pillar of Thales Radar Centre of Excellence’s expansion is the development of Emirati talent.

Thales places localisation at the heart of its growth strategy through advanced training programmes and sustainable professional career development, building specialised local expertise in advanced radar technologies in support of the UAE’s National Defence Strategy and its vision of a highly capable, future-ready national workforce.

As the project is not only focused on building the radar system but also on qualifying domestic suppliers, it further contributes to strengthening the national industrial base and promoting long-term self-reliance.

Commenting on the agreement, Al Romaithi said, “The expansion of Thales’ Radar Centre of Excellence reflects the strength of the UAE’s defence industrial strategy and its regional leadership in advanced technologies. This initiative enhances national capabilities in air surveillance radar systems while creating significant opportunities for local companies to grow, innovate, and compete globally.”

For his part, Mordi said, “Thales is proud to contribute to the growth of the UAE’s industrial defence ecosystem by advancing local capabilities, in-line with the national vision. The expansion of our Radar Centre of Excellence, through the establishment of a new production facility, marks a major milestone - from integration, testing, manufacturing to lifecycle support.

“This investment reinforces the UAE’s sovereignty in critical defence technologies, strengthens the national supply chain, embarks UAE talents and deepens local expertise in advanced radar systems.”

Earlier Tawazun Council and Airbus announced, during the Make it in the Emirates 2025, the strengthening of their strategic partnership through the launch of a national industrial capability development programme in the aerospace sector. Tawazun Council and Airbus strengthen partnership to manufacture C295 fuel tanks in UAE.

The initiative aims to manufacture and supply Cargo Compartment Removable Tanks (CCRTs) in collaboration with EPI, a subsidiary of EDGE Group.

In the presence of Dr. Nasser Humaid Al Nuaimi, Secretary-General of Tawazun Council, the agreement was signed by Shareef Hashim Al Hashmi, CEO of Operations at Tawazun Council, and Gabriel Semelas, President of Airbus for Africa and the Middle East, in the presence of representatives from both sides.

The programme aligns with the UAE’s vision to expand its industrial footprint within global aerospace and defence supply chains by developing and producing mobile, multi-role fuel tanks for cargo compartments. These tanks will support aerial refuelling, ground support and extended-range missions with high efficiency.

The initiative falls under the UAE’s Tawazun Economic Programme, one of Tawazun Council’s key strategic tools aimed at boosting local content and promoting technology transfer in the aviation and defence sectors. As part of this effort, the Council is supporting the exclusive serial production of this type of removable fuel tank over the next five years.

The project involves Airbus Defence and Space sourcing from EPI to manufacture and assemble aerostructures and sub-assemblies, and to certify specialised production processes.

Once fully developed, EPI will serve as the sole source supplier for these components, reinforcing the UAE’s growing role as a key industrial partner in the aerospace and defence sectors.