The UAE Ministry of Defence has awarded contracts worth Dh5.23 billion ($1.42bn) on the first day of the Dubai Airshow, with the biggest deal of the day going to Progressive Technologies.
The ministry signed a Dh2.67bn deal with Progressive for supply of ammunition for the UAE Air Force and Air Defence (Afad), a ministry representative told a media briefing on Sunday.
The UAE also signed a Dh2.46bn contract with Airbus Defence and Space to procure two Airbus 330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport aircraft for the UAE Air Force, which will be in addition to the three aircraft the Air Force is already operating, said Maj Gen Staff Pilot Ishaq Al Balushi, head of the ministry's Executive Directorate of Industries and Development of Defence Capabilities.
The ministry also signed two deals with France’s Thales for communication systems and the supply of spare parts and maintenance, according to ministry spokeswoman Lt Col Sarah Al Hajri.
The Dubai Airshow taking place this week in person is the first major global aerospace exhibition in two years since the aviation industry was hit by the worst crisis in its history and is a bellwether for the sector's rebound from the Covid-19 pandemic.
This year's civil and military exhibition – a major display of products from jumbo jets to military drones – was held against the backdrop of the pandemic and is significant because it indicates a return to some degree of normality in an industry profoundly changed by the crisis.
About 1,200 companies are exhibiting at this year's air show, of which 371 are new exhibitors and 80 are start-ups.
Dubai Airshow over the years - in pictures:
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The UAE's Air Force Aerobatic Team, Al-Fursan, performs stunts at the Dubai Airshow in 2019. Karim Sahib / AFP -
Visitors arrive at the Dubai Airshow in 2019. Karim Sahib / AFP -
The Royal Air Force, UK Trade and Investment stand at the air show in 2013. Antonie Robertson / The National -
Guests walk past the flydubai B737-700 BBJ plane at the show in 2013. Sarah Dea / The National -
Visitors walk past the Emirates Airbus A380-800 plane in 2013. Sarah Dea / The National -
Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Department of Civil Aviation, CEO and Chairman of The Emirates Group and Chairman of Dubai World, steps out from the Legacy 650 by Embraer at the show in 2013. Sarah Dea / The National -
A media flight onboard the Airbus Military A400M MRTT in 2013. Christopher Pike / The National -
Planes form a line at the air show. Pawan Singh / The National -
The Pakistan Aeronautical Complex stand at the 2015 Dubai Airshow. Antonie Robertson / The National -
Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed examines a Bell helicopter. Pawan Singh / The National -
An Iomax Arch Angel border security aircraft at the 2015 Dubai Airshow. Antonie Robertson / The National -
The 2015 Dubai Airshow. Antonie Robertson / The National -
Crowds flock to the show in 2015. Antonie Robertson / The National -
A media flight onboard the Airbus Military A400M MRTT in 2013. Christopher Pike / The National -
Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed visits the show. Pawan Singh / The National -
Visitors walk by a Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer model at the BAE Systems stand. Sarah Dea / The National -
Visitors attend the show in 2014. Pawan Singh / The National -
Back in 2005, the Airbus A380, sporting the colors of air carrier Emirates, takes off. AFP -
A LEAP high-bypass turbofan engine on display in 2013. Sarah Dea / The National -
An Emirates Airline A380 leads the Al Fursan aerobatic display team during the opening ceremony in 2017. AP Photo / Kamran Jebreili -
The Al Fursan team puts on a dazzling display in 2019. Reuters / Christopher Pike -
A Dubai Airshow press briefing gets under way, led by Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed. Photo: Tarasus
