Abu Dhabi’s Sanad and Thales to collaborate on aviation services

Sanad, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mubadala Investment Company, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with French defence firm Thales, to explore areas of collaboration in areas pertaining to industrial services for the aviation sector.

The MoU was signed by Mansoor Janahi, group CEO of Sanad and Bernard Roux, CEO of Thales in the UAE. The announcement follows the launch of Sanad’s new industrial services strategy, which focuses on expanding its business beyond the aerospace sector to drive the UAE’s sustainable industrial future by leveraging synergies with international partners.

Knowledge exchange will be a key focus under the terms of the agreement, and Thales will serve as a partner in diversifying Sanad’s business portfolio towards industrial services in air traffic, airport security and avionics systems.

As part of the agreement, Sanad and Thales will work collaboratively on regional and international projects, with Sanad taking the lead on providing state-of-the-art industrial systems. The company will work alongside Thales, which will spearhead the design and build.

Mansoor Janahi, Group CEO of Sanad.“This partnership with Thales reinforces Abu Dhabi’s position as a trusted global hub for the industrial services, as it expands the range of services provided by the national aerospace sector to include airport security, air traffic management, and avionics systems, which are witnessing a significant growth locally and globally.

“Through this new agreement, Sanad seeks to build national competencies and excellence in these sectors, localising the most advanced technologies and promoting the transfer of knowledge through partnerships with major international companies leading in these sectors. This partnership also confirms Sanad’s ability to implement its new strategy through this new partnership with Thales coupled with its distinguished engineering and leasing history spanning more than 30 years.”

Bernard Roux, CEO of Thales in UAE, added: “The aviation sector has fostered endless debates over the last few years, whether it is in relation to future traffic flows or the resilience and adaptability of the sector. Our skies are undergoing a significant transformation. As we look to build a future that we can all trust, it is innovation and knowledge exchange that play a vital role in promoting sustainable growth and creating industries with a competitive advantage at a global stage.”