Saab looks to increase its Middle East presence

Saab is looking to the Middle East to further its strategic manufacturing plans, announcing the creation of a new UAE-based radar company with Tawazun in a joint venture. The company has been named Abu Dhabi Advanced Radar Systems (ADARS), with 51 per cent owned by Tawazun and 49 per cent by Saab.

ADARS will be a local radar capability centre for development of next generation radar systems, and for production, maintenance and support services in the radar system area.

Saab’s president and CEO Håkan Buskhe, said: ‘Creating ADARS is part of our strategy to increase our presence in key markets. UAE is one of these key markets, where we have had business relations since the 1980s, including within the radar system area’.
 
HE Saif Mohamed Al Hajeri, Tawazun CEO, said: ‘As we continue to grow as an organisation, diversify our product portfolio and extend our capabilities, it is imperative that we partner with like-minded entities who share our vision and who complement our values and ambitions. This partnership with Saab will see us invest in advanced technologies to develop unique products for the defence market, which is testament to our commitment to continuously adapting and improving new technology to meet our customers’ changing needs.’

As part of the agreement, and to strengthen the UAE's and ADARS´s overall technical skill sets and assist the country's defence capabilities in the development and delivery of advanced radar systems,15 UAE nationals will participate in a Masters programme in Microwave and Radar Technology Engineering in Sweden.