Mubadala, Embraer to strengthen UAE’s position in global aerospace

Mubadala Investment Company (Mubadala), an Abu Dhabi sovereign investor, and Embraer, a leading global aerospace company headquartered in Brazil, on Wednesday signed a Strategic Framework Agreement at the Farnborough International Airshow, establishing a pathway to a long-term collaboration across supply, maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), human capital development, and research and development.

The agreement was signed by Amer Siddiqui, Executive Director at Mubadala’s UAE Investments Platform on behalf of Mubadala, and Dimas Douglas Tomelin, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer of Embraer S.A. on behalf of Embraer.

The partnership draws on the UAE’s integrated aerospace ecosystem, which spans aerostructures, advanced materials, MRO, and aviation services. As leading aircraft manufacturers streamline their supplier bases in favour of fewer, larger partners capable of delivering across the value chain, this agreement puts that integrated capability into action.

Workforce development is a core pillar of the agreement. Embraer and Mubadala will jointly define the way to develop people and plan training programmes focused on advancing engineering and aerospace skills in the UAE, including practical training, knowledge transfer, and work placements at Embraer facilities for Emirati talent.

The two organisations will also jointly plan the research and development of next-generation aerostructures technologies, including composites, additive manufacturing, and high-temperature alloys, with the ambition of creating a co-located innovation hub to accelerate prototyping and bring new technologies to industrial scale.

Dr Bakheet Al Katheeri, Chief Executive Officer of Mubadala’s UAE Investments Platform, said, “For two decades, Mubadala’s UAE Investments platform has backed the capabilities the nation must build and own to secure its future, in service of a vision set by our leadership to build an economy defined by resilience and global competitiveness. Aerospace has always been part of that conviction. This agreement with Embraer is a natural extension of it. It connects the depth we have built across our aerospace businesses to one of the industry’s great manufacturers, and it reflects a broader principle that guides everything we do: invest early, build locally, and prepare ahead of need.”

Francisco Gomes Neto, President and Chief Executive Officer of Embraer, said, “The UAE is a strategic partner for Embraer, and we believe this collaboration presents significant opportunities to advance industrial and technological capabilities in the country and strengthen Embraer content in the country and in the Middle East for future businesses opportunities for Embraer portfolio. By combining our expertise with the UAE’s vision for innovation and growth, we look forward to building a strong and mutually beneficial partnership in the years ahead.”

At the centre of the collaboration are two of the UAE’s flagship aerospace businesses. For Sanad, the Abu Dhabi MRO specialist serving more than 40 global airlines, the agreement opens the opportunity to provide MRO services, with potential to regional expansion across the GCC and SAMENA markets as demand grows.

WAM