Dubai Airshow 2021: UAE defence ministry signs deals worth Dh20.8b in three days
Deals to the tune of Dh18b had been signed during the previous airshow
Dubai: The UAE Ministry of Defence has signed 16 deals in the first three days of the Dubai Airshow 2021, valued at a total of Dh20.8 billion.
This was announced in the presence of Major General Staff Pilot Ishaq Saleh Al Balushi, Executive Director of the Military Organising Committee of the Dubai Airshow 2021 and Lt. Col. Pilot Sarah Hamad Al Hajari, official spokesman for the Dubai International Airshow 2021.
On Day 1, deals worth Dh5.2 billion were signed, while the number went up sharply to Dh11.3 billion on Day 2. On the third day, the figure stood at Dh4.3 billion, taking the total to Dh20.8 billion. The airshow runs until Thursday.
The first deal on Day 3 was contracted with the American company Lockheed Martin to provide technical support services and spare parts for the air force and air defense command systems, at a value of Dh624.4 million. The second deal was contracted with Global Aerospace Logistics to provide maintenance services for the joint air command at a value of Dh3.4 billion.
A third deal was also concluded with the French company Thales to provide technical support and repair services for the communication system worth Dh28.2 million, while a fourth deal was concluded with Thales to provide maintenance services and technical support for the air force and air defense systems at a value of Dh42.8 million.
The fifth deal was signed with the Italian company Agusta Westland Aviation Services to provide technical support services for VIP aircraft, with a value of Dh90 million, while the sixth and final deal was signed with the Swiss company Rheinmetall Air Defence to provide technical support, repair and maintenance services to the Air Force and Air Defence Command, at a value of Dh35.8 million.
Al Balushi pointed out that the exhibition in this year’s edition plays a pivotal role in achieving commonalities in the aviation, aerospace and defense sectors at the global level, as it is a platform that has brought together leaders and experts from around the world for new partnerships, and paves the way for the sector’s recovery and future growth.
He explained that the deals held in the past three days of the exhibition are different from each other because daily contracts are signed with multiple local and international countries for partners from outside the UAE.
Lt-Colonel Pilot Sarah Al Hajari pointed out that the deals concluded in the 2019 edition of Dubai Airshow were worth a total value of Dh18 billion, while those of the 2021 edition exceeded Dh20 billion on the third day only.