Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

UAE defence firm EDGE dominates second day of industry exhibit

UAE defence firm EDGE dominates second day of industry exhibit

The United Arab Emirates signed defence deals worth 8.14 billion dirhams ($2.22 billion) on the second day of a major industry expo in Abu Dhabi, with the bulk of the business signed with a state-owned firm, a state defence acquisitions agency said.
Abu Dhabi defence firm EDGE, whose book value last year was roughly $5 billion, won the biggest deal, a 4.7 billion-dirham contract for its subsidiary Halcon to supply Desert Sting P5 systems, Tawazun Council said in a statement. Halcon also signed a 1.1 billion-dirham deal for its Hunter systems.

UAE pacts with local companies were worth 7.6 billion dirhams, while contracts with international firms totalled just 543 million dirhams, Tawazun said. This occurred despite a heavy presence of foreign firms at this year's International Defence Exhibition (IDEX), including major companies from the United States and Europe.

Another EDGE subsidiary, ADASI, clinched a 1.33 billion-dirham deal for its Shadow system.

"We had a total of $5 billion worth of booked orders last year," EDGE Chairman Faisal Al Bannai told Reuters, adding that roughly $1.4 billion were export orders to roughly nine or 10 countries.

EDGE has clients in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Europe, he said.

EDGE's Halcon is now selling a UAV named Reach-S for $1.1 million, which "is a 70% reduced price," Al Bannai said, adding EDGE wants to "disrupt" the industry.

He said the firm is also selling loitering drones for $29,000, versus what he said is an industry average of between $140,000 and $170,000.

"Today some of the highest-demand products due to what's happening around the world are loitering drones ... and UAVs," Al Bannai said.

Anton Pashynskyi, chief business development officer at Ukraine state-owned Ukroboronprom, said the UAE and other Gulf countries could learn from Ukraine's experience in facing Iran-made drones.

"We are fighting not only with Russian equipment. We are fighting also against Iranian equipment," he said.

Ukraine had a small presence inside the main hall of IDEX, near other European countries. Russia had a much larger presence, though in the naval section of the exhibition.

Ukraine's appearance at IDEX was to seek partners and suppliers to boost its defence industry amid the war with Russia, as well as to maintain ties with existing clients in the UAE and other Gulf countries, Pashynskyi said.

($1 = 3.6727 UAE dirhams)
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
×