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EDGE

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces on November 05, 2019 inaugurated EDGE, a company set to reposition the UAE as a notable global player in advanced technology.

With the digital era creating unprecedented challenges and opportunities, EDGE is positioned to disrupt capabilities across a wide breadth of industries. Starting with break-through innovations in the high investment defence sector, and with a priority on national security, EDGE is consolidating more than 25 entities, including subsidiaries from the Emirates Defence Industries Company (EDIC), Emirates Advanced Investments Group (EAIG), Tawazun Holding, and other independent organisations.

His Excellency Faisal Al Bannai, CEO and Managing Director, EDGE said, “EDGE will invest extensively across R&D, working closely with front-line operators to design and deploy practical solutions that address real world challenges.” He added: “The solution to address hybrid warfare, lies at the convergence of innovations from the commercial world and the military industry. Established with a core mandate to disrupt an antiquated military industry generally stifled by red tape, EDGE is set to bring products to market faster and at more cost-effective price points.” Al Bannai had been appointed to lead EDGE, based on his start-up background and proven track record in leveraging emerging technologies to expand business opportunities at home and abroad.

In contributing to innovation and advanced technology growth, EDGE will develop deeper partnerships with world-leading industry OEMs and defence contractors, the SME sector and academia alike. Accelerating the rate of innovation, it will also be attracting elite industry experts and talent from around the globe, to help on a wide spectrum of modern product development, ranging from ideation to building cross domain capabilities over its five core business clusters: Platforms & Systems, Missiles & Weapons, Cyber Defence, Electronic Warfare & Intelligence, and Mission Support.

The company is set to implement advanced technologies such as autonomous capabilities, cyber-physical systems, the Internet of Things, advanced propulsion systems, robotics and smart materials, with a focus on artificial intelligence across all its products and services.

Commenting on EDGE, His Excellency Tareq Abdul Raheem Al Hosani, Chief Executive Officer of Tawazun Economic Council (the UAE’s Defence Enabler) said: “We are invested in managing the uncertainty that technology brings by adapting our focus and capabilities towards a sustainable defence and security industry. EDGE will help us transform our domestic capabilities, while growing our engagements on defence and security exports.”

In 2018, the UAE topped the Global Innovation Index for the Arab world. EDGE aims to help the UAE to retain and expand that foremost position.

AL JASOOR is the UAE’s national specialist in armored vehicles, and is part of the Platforms & Systems cluster of EDGE. Recognised as the exclusive supplier of the new Rabdan 8x8 infantry fighting vehicle - that offers unique operational advantages on land, and can reliably operate in water - AL JASOOR is committed to harnessing advanced technologies and innovations. Ensuring those on the front line are protected by a new generation of faster, more mobile and more versatile vehicles with advanced offensive and defensive capabilities, AL JASOOR’s top priority is safety. The company’s strategic partnership with Otokar Land Systems further enables the transfer of technology, training and ownership.

As a sister entity of AL JASOOR in the Platforms and Systems cluster within EDGE, EARTH brings its world-class technology integration capabilities to the partnership, ensuring all subsystems function as one cohesive unit. The laser system’s open architecture allows for seamless installation across military platforms. This will enable EARTH to leverage its engineering excellence with flexibility to address dynamic tactical requirements with high-performance and reliable mission-ready solutions.

Marking its first year, in December 2020 EDGE, the UAE’s advanced technology group for defence and beyond, was ranked among the top 25 military suppliers in the world by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), a think tank that specialises in data analysis of military expenditure and arms trade among other peace and security related matters.

With this being the first time that a Middle East company has been named among the biggest defence original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and security exporters, EDGE’s presence is a notable ranking for the UAE and the region more broadly. Others on the ranking included Lockheed Martin, the Aviation Industry Corp of China (AVIC), BAE Systems, Thales, Almaz-Antey, and Rolls Royce. SIPRI reported that the sales of arms and military services by the largest 25 companies totalled US$361 billion in 2019, with EDGE accounting for 1.3 per cent of this total arms sales.

Commenting on the new data released, H.E. Faisal Al Bannai, CEO and Managing Director, EDGE said: “As EDGE marks its one-year anniversary, we are proud to be the first ever in the Middle East that is ranked among the top 25 largest military companies in the world by SIPRI. He added: “Advanced technologies have enabled us to thrive, be bold, agile and disruptive in an era of hybrid warfare. As we continue to build the UAE’s sovereign capabilities and develop partnerships for export growth, we remain excited about what the future holds”.

With a priority on transforming the country’s advanced technology capabilities and making it fit for an evolving digital era, EDGE’s forward-looking strategy will continue to focus on addressing national security threats that are adapting through new technological means, strengthening current capabilities and industry R&D, and developing technology for export growth. EDGE offers expertise in five core clusters: Platforms & Systems, Missiles & Weapons, Cyber Defence, Electronic Warfare & Intelligence and Mission Support, and was established on the 5th of November 2019.

Aerospace and defence company Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) in March 2021 said it would jointly develop an advanced drone defence system with EDGE.

Emirati and Israeli state-owned weapons makers signed a strategic agreement in Dubai to jointly design unmanned vessels capable of carrying out anti-submarine warfare. United Arab Emirates defence conglomerate EDGE and IAI announced the partnership on the final day of the biennial Dubai Airshow on 18 November 2021. In a joint statement, the firms said they would design the “170 M” advanced modular unmanned service vessels that would be usable for both military and commercial purposes. The Emirati-Israeli unmanned vessels would be able to operate semi and fully autonomously and carry out missions including submarine detection and anti-submarine warfare. Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB) will design the platform and integrate the control systems and payload, while IAI will develop the autonomous control system and integrate payloads into it.

EDGE CEO Faisal Al Bannai said: “In line with the Abraham Accords and the UAE’s newly-established cooperation with Israel, it is a defining moment for us to join forces with IAI. As EDGE invests extensively in autonomous capabilities, our co-development of a Counter-UAS will help strengthen our advanced technology portfolio.” IAI’s President Boaz Levy said the agreement serves as a “stepping-stone for further business and strategic alliances between our countries”.