Caracal catapults UAE into small arms manufacturers' league

Dubai: The UAE has become a arms manufacturing country with the launch of Caracal International LLC, a defence hardware manufacturer, on the eve of Idex 2007.

"Caracal is the first national company specialising in advanced small arms industry in the Arabian Gulf countries.

"Caracal intends to establish a high quality national defence industry in the UAE in accordance with recognised world standards and specifications as a pioneering company for the defence and security sector in the country," a statement said.

Caracal International has a pavilion at Idex 2007 to display its latest products. Hamad Khalifa Al Neyadi, managing director of Caracal, said the company looks forward to expanding its activities in cooperation with the private sector to lay the foundations of the defence industry in the country and the Gulf region, with aspirations to join the club of countries with a defence industry.

Idex 2007 will witness, for the first time since its inception 14 years ago, the launching of the first defence product manufactured in the UAE.

"As we launch the company's first products, the Caracal F and Caracal C pistols, the company is committed to providing innovative and state-of-the-art products through advanced design ideas and precision manufacturing using the most sophisticated technologies and materials," Al Neyadi said.

Standards

To this end, the company has developed high quality control standards in all production and assembly phases in accordance with world recognised specifications and standards as a symbol of the defence industry in the country.

The company has also registered more than ten patents worldwide, which would be developed to prove its commitment to providing state-of-the-art products to customers around the world.

He said the Caracal pistol bears the label 'Made in the UAE'.