Everett, Washington: Boeing Co and Strata Manufacturing are to announce details of the $2.5 billion (Dh9.18 billion) contract signed at the 2013 Dubai Airshow at this year’s show in November, according to a senior Boeing executive.

At the 2013 Dubai Airshow, Boeing agreed with Mubadala they would be able to supply as much as $2.5 billion in advanced composites and machine metals to Boeing’s commercial programmes, including the new generation 777x and 787. The two have been in talks to agree on which composite parts will be manufactured in Al Ain.

Strata, the Al Ain aeroplane composite parts manufacturer owned by Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala, has been in talks with Boeing to finalise the contract since the announcement two years ago.

The announcement at this year’s Dubai Airshow will be a “follow on” of what Strata is already doing, John Byrne, vice-president of Airplane Materials and Structures at Boeing, told Middle East-based reporters on a visit to Boeing’s Everett offices in Washington on Monday. “It’s just a continuation,” he said.

Strata is a Tier-1 supplier to Boeing, which is sourcing composite ribs for the vertical fin and horizontal stabilisers for its 777s from the Al Ain manufacturer. Strata also supplies Boeing with parts for its 787 Dreamliners.

Strata executives visited Boeing offices in the United States on Thursday, September 8, Byrne said, where the two companies agreed to advance one project “quite fast” and give another project a re-look later after more work is done.

“We both agreed it didn’t have the right solution in place,” Byrne said of the second project.

He, however, did not comment further on the Dubai Airshow announcement but said Boeing has been speaking with Strata about producing larger parts than what it is doing already.

“They have the capabilities,” Byrne said and also called Strata’s progress “spectacular.”

“I am really proud of where we are at right now with Mubadala and Strata. There will be some more good things that come out at the air show in Dubai that we’ve been working on,” he said.

On September 1, Strata said it expects revenue this year to increase by more than 15 per cent to Dh400 million ($108.9 million). The company has said it will break even in 2017.