UAE launches ‘Edge’ conglomerate to address its ‘antiquated military industry’

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — The United Arab Emirates has launched a government-owned company meant to position the country as a global player in advanced technology that can address the threat of hybrid warfare and streamline the local defense industry .

The crown prince of Abu Dhabi and the deputy supreme commander of the UAE Armed Forces, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, led the inauguration ceremony of the new entity, known as Edge.

“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,” said Faisal Al Bannai, CEO and managing director of Edge.

With a combined annual revenue of $5 billion, Edge employs more than 12,000 individuals, and it will consolidate a number of companies and other entities totaling 25 subsidiaries. Those subsidiaries include Nimr, AMMROC, Abu Dhabi Ship Building, Al Tariq, Caracal, Emirates Advanced Research and Technology Holding, ADASI, Al Hosn, Al Jasoor, Al Taif, APT, Beacon RED, EPI, ERS, ETS, GAL, Halcon, Horizon, Jaheziya, Knowledge Point, Lahab, Remaya, and Sign4l.

Edge will also adsorb Emirates Defence Industries Company, Tawazun Holding as well as Advanced Investments Group.

“The conglomerate will manage effectively the five clusters it has, through the chief executive of each entity who will report to the chief executive of the cluster within the conglomerate,” Al Bannai told Defense News. Those five focus areas are platforms and systems; missiles and weapons; cyber defense; electronic warfare and intelligence; and mission support.

The executive said ongoing contracts signed by the subsidiaries before Edge’s creation will continue as usual.

"With respect to new contracts, they will be signed by Edge if they are strategic deals, and others will be signed by the subsidiary entity depending on the type of the contract,” he added. “EDGE will invest extensively across [research and development], working closely with front-line operators to design and deploy practical solutions that address real-world challenges.”

Lockheed Martin’s Middle East chief executive, Robert Harward, praised the creation of Edge as “a great opportunity for Lockheed Martin and other partners to engage with the UAE in a new and innovative way.”

“Today’s announcement is indicative of the UAE’s growing defense and technology ecosystem,” Harward said. "We look forward to working with Edge and helping them expand their capabilities through effective partnerships.”

The conglomerate will develop partnerships with original equipment manufacturers and defense contractors, small and medium enterprises, and academia, according to an Edge news release. The company also said it will seek industry experts and talent from around the globe to help on a wide spectrum of modern product development related to its five clusters.

The company also plans to develop technologies that advance autonomous capabilities, IT hardware, the internet of things, advanced propulsion systems, robotics and smart materials, with a focus on artificial intelligence across all its products and services.

Agnes Helou was a Middle East correspondent for Defense News. Her interests include missile defense, cybersecurity, the interoperability of weapons systems and strategic issues in the Middle East and Gulf region.

阿联酋阿布扎比——阿联酋成立了一家国有企业，旨在将该国定位为先进技术领域的全球参与者，以应对混合战争的威胁并简化当地的国防工业。

阿布扎比王储兼阿联酋武装部队副最高统帅穆罕默德·本·扎耶德·阿勒纳哈扬主持了新实体 Edge 的成立仪式。

“应对混合战争的解决方案在于商业领域和军事工业创新技术的融合。Edge公司首席执行官兼董事总经理费萨尔·阿尔·班奈表示：“Edge公司成立的核心使命是打破受繁文缛节束缚的陈旧军事工业，致力于以更快的速度和更具成本效益的价格将产品推向市场。”

Edge集团年收入总计达50亿美元，拥有超过12000名员工，并将整合多家公司和其他实体，共计25家子公司。这些子公司包括Nimr、AMMROC、阿布扎比造船厂、Al Tariq、Caracal、阿联酋先进研究与技术控股公司、ADASI、Al Hosn、Al Jasoor、Al Taif、APT、Beacon RED、EPI、ERS、ETS、GAL、Halcon、Horizo​​n、Jaheziya、Knowledge Point、Lahab、Remaya和Sign4l。

Edge还将吸收阿联酋国防工业公司、塔瓦尊控股公司以及先进投资集团。

“该集团将通过各实体的首席执行官有效管理其下属的五个业务集群，每个实体的首席执行官都将向集团内该集群的首席执行官汇报工作，”阿尔·班奈告诉《防务新闻》。这五个重点领域分别是：平台和系统；导弹和武器；网络防御；电子战和情报；以及任务支持。

该高管表示，Edge成立之前各子公司签署的现有合同将照常继续有效。

他补充道：“关于新合同，如果是战略性交易，将由Edge公司签署；其他合同将根据合同类型由子公司签署。EDGE将在研发领域投入巨资，与一线运营商紧密合作，设计并部署能够应对实际挑战的实用解决方案。”

洛克希德·马丁公司中东首席执行官罗伯特·哈沃德称赞 Edge 的创建是“洛克希德·马丁公司和其他合作伙伴以全新创新方式与阿联酋合作的绝佳机会”。

哈沃德表示：“今天的公告表明阿联酋的国防和科技生态系统正在不断发展壮大。我们期待与Edge公司合作，并通过有效的伙伴关系帮助他们提升能力。”

据Edge新闻稿称，该集团将与原始设备制造商、国防承包商、中小企业和学术界建立合作关系。该公司还表示，将在全球范围内寻求行业专家和人才，以协助其五大产业集群相关的各类现代产品开发。

该公司还计划开发推进自主能力、IT硬件、物联网、先进推进系统、机器人和智能材料的技术，重点是将人工智能应用于其所有产品和服务中。

阿格尼斯·赫卢曾任《防务新闻》中东记者。她的研究领域包括导弹防御、网络安全、武器系统互操作性以及中东和海湾地区的战略问题。