Aerospace industry's long-term plan to employ Emiratis

The UAE aerospace industry needs up to five years of development before it is ready to employ nationals, a senior ADAC executive told Arabian Business at the Paris Airshow on Monday.

Zeyad Al Majed, senior project advisor at the Abu Dhabi Airports Company was speaking after the company announced a twin cluster agreement with BavAIRia to create a “world-leading” aerospace centre in Al Ain.

During a press conference, airport operator ADAC said the tie up with German aerospace company BavAIRia will see both companies exploring mutually beneficial business opportunities across various sectors. These include aero engines and aero structures, satellite navigation, and education and training.

When asked why Emiratis would consider working in the aerospace industry over public sector roles, Majed said: “They are going to work in an industry or company that actually furthers their education knowledge and adds value.

“I worked in a Fortune 500 company for seven years but the problem is we don’t have any advanced industry so they are not just going to go for anything like manufacturing.

“They will work in a business environment, marketing firm or government agency. But with aerospace it is a different story because you not only have a high value industry, but also the interest and excitement of the products themselves.”

Majed added it will take between three to five years to have an aerospace industry with a “solid nucleus” for attracting Emiratis.

“We will provide the industry itself and then the Emiratis will be attracted,” he said. “At the moment, you don’t really have much of an aerospace industry.

“There is a lot of experience in aircraft maintenance and quite big numbers that work in MRO [in the UAE], but until you diversify and bring in more of the aerospace such as engine composites and aero engine parts then you create a platform to employ UAE nationals and get them qualified in a programme.”

The aerospace cluster will be established in Al Ain, the second largest city in Abu Dhabi, and located on a 25 sq km area of land adjacent to Al Ain International Airport.

Organisations from Bavaria and the UAE that operate in the aerospace industry will be involved in the cluster. Among them, Atena, Aerotech Peissenberg, FAG Aerospace and MTU Aero Engines will form an aero engine maintenance, repair and overhaul manufacturing division.

Meanwhile, MT Aerospace, RUAG Aerospace and SGL Carbon will be involved in aero-structures.

The agreement will also be supported by a joint ADAC-bavAIRia steering committee to encourage education and investment across the two regions.

The UAE is expected to spend $255bn on developments and high-tech industries, including aerospace, during the next five years.

Bavaria’s aerospace industry employs 35,000 people and has an annual turnover of $9bn. Car manufacturers, IT companies, machinery developers ad electronic businesses are major contributors to the industry.

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