EDGE, EM&E Group team up to create joint venture in UAE

The UAE’s EDGE Group and Spain’s EM&E Group have signed an agreement to explore the establishment of a UAE-based joint venture, supported by a commercial pipeline of approximately $1.5 billion.

The signing took place on Tuesday at EM&E Group’s headquarters, during an event attended by the UAE Ambassador to Spain Saleh Ahmad Salem Alzaraim Alsuwaidi.

Under this agreement, signed by Hamad Al Marar, Managing Director and CEO of EDGE Group, and Fernando Fernández, CEO of EM&E Group, the Spanish company will provide the latest technology in advanced remote weapon stations to the UAE and other international markets, with plans to expand into co-development of additional defence systems through the future UAE-based joint venture.

The new company would establish a skilled workforce in the UAE spanning sales, engineering, and programme management, creating high-value employment opportunities in advanced defence technologies and enabling co-development of future systems and adaptation of existing ones.

“This partnership with EM&E Group strengthens our position in priority markets and accelerates our capabilities in advanced weapon systems. European defence expertise combined with EDGE’s broad range of air, land, and maritime platforms creates a significant competitive advantage for our customers,” said Al Marar.

He added that this framework establishes a clear path toward deeper industrial cooperation with Spain’s defence sector and positions the UAE as a hub for next-generation defence technology development.

Fernández stated, “This strategic alliance with EDGE represents a fundamental milestone in our international expansion and a recognition of the cutting-edge engineering we develop in Spain. By combining our remote weapon station technology with EDGE’s industrial ecosystem, we are not only strengthening our export capabilities but also becoming key partners in the development of disruptive defence solutions.”

This collaboration and the future joint venture mark a milestone in EM&E Group’s roadmap, consolidating its strong commitment to internationalisation and the expansion of its technological solutions in high-level global markets.

By integrating EM&E Group’s engineering capabilities with EDGE’s powerful defence ecosystem into a joint venture, both companies are driving a cooperation model that ensures industrial strengthening, specialised job creation, and high-end technology in the most demanding international markets.

In January, EDGE Group and Qatar’s Barzan Holdings have agreed to establish a joint venture focused on the collaborative development of advanced defence technologies, reinforcing long-term industrial cooperation between the UAE and Qatar.

The agreement was formalised at a signing ceremony held at DIMDEX 2026, which commenced on Tuesday in Qatar’s capital city, Doha.

The joint venture is intended to support the co-development of technologies aligned with evolving national security requirements while reinforcing sustainable industrial capability in the UAE and Qatar. It brings together complementary strengths across expertise, operational insight, and industrial capacity, enabling a more integrated approach to development and delivery.

In November 2025, Indra Group and EDGE have signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) as the preliminary step towards establishing a new joint venture in Spain that would be dedicated to the development, production and maintenance of loitering munitions and smart weapons for the Spanish, European and selected international markets, with potential cooperation across defence programmes in Europe.

Ángel Escribano, Executive President of Indra Group, and José Vicente de Los Mozos, CEO of Indra Group, together with Hamad Al Marar, Managing Director & CEO of EDGE Group, formally signed the MoU today at the Dubai Airshow to further this initiative.

The vision is for the engineering and industrial capabilities of the joint venture to be supported by Indra’s extensive industrial footprint in Spain, which is undergoing significantly expansion to meet growing demand. At the same time, the joint venture would benefit from EDGE’s technology and experience in loitering munitions.

Ángel Escribano said, “This partnership would bring together complementary capabilities, experience, and commercial reach in the loitering munition and smart weapons segments to deliver world-class solutions to our clients.”

Hamad Al Marar said, “EDGE has built an agile industrial ecosystem capable of responding rapidly to new opportunities and delivering export-ready solutions at speed. Our collaboration with Indra reflects not only a long-standing relationship built on trust and shared ambition, but also a strategic pathway for expanding our presence across European markets through joint innovation and advanced manufacturing.”

WAM