UAE Offset group signs four defence agreements

The UAE Offset Programme Bureau (OPB) said yesterday it had signed agreements with four major companies from Europe and Singapore on defence and training co-operation.

An OPB delegation headed by CEO Saif Al Hajeri signed the Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with those companies while on a visit to France.

The deals were signed with Rheinmetall Group and Diehl Defence Holding of Germany, Singapore Technologies Engineering, and Thales of France.

The delegation signed an MoU between Tawazun Holding Company and the Rheinmetall Group while meeting at the Eurosatory 2008 defence exhibition.

Rheinmetall brings technological know-how and expertise in the areas of defence equipment and automotive component development, manufacturing, and training, said Al Hajeri.

"Training nationals will be a primary focus. Rheinmetall is a renowned international technology leader, capable of bringing world-class knowledge transfer into the Emirates. This will be an exciting co-operative effort. We intend to identify multiple business opportunities which will serve the UAE in the near and distant future," Al Hajeri said.

Regarding Singapore Technologies, he said it would bring "an innovative spirit in technological development to the engineering and manufacture of defence equipment".

On the final day of Eurosatory, the delegation signed an MoU with Diehl Defence Holding of Germany, which produces wide range of defence systems.

A fourth MoU was finalised with Thales for cooperation in the production of integrated systems for aerospace, defence and security market.

Tawazun Holding was established by the OPB in 2007. It currently focuses on the development and expansion of the selected emerging companies that will add value to the UAE economy in the future.