The US defence company Northrop Grumman plans to boost sales in the Middle East region by 5 to 10 per cent this year as it focuses on the key markets of the UAE and Saudi Arabia, a company official said.
Northrop supplies parts to Lockheed Martin's F-35 fighter jets and has already struck "hundreds of millions" of dollars in deals within the region over the past three years, said Walid Abukhaled, the chief executive for the Middle East, in an interview yesterday with The National.
“If you look at the needs of defence equipment, of defence systems across the Middle East region, then it is huge,” said Mr Abukhaled at the International Defence Exhibition and Conference (Idex) taking place in Abu Dhabi.
“It is one of the most prominent regions globally for such equipment and such systems. Our outlook is extremely positive.”
Northrop, which also makes the Global Hawk unmanned surveillance aircraft, has offices in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
The company in 2014 implemented a strategy focusing on increasing non-US sales from six countries: Australia, Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, UAE and the UK.
“You always want to diversify your portfolio and just depending on one customer isn’t the best idea,” said Mr Abukhaled.
Saudi Arabia was the world’s second-largest arms importer in the 2012-16 period compared with the 2007-11 period, rising by 212 per cent and representing 8.2 per cent of the total, according to a report released yesterday by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
The UAE was the third-largest arms importer, increasing by 63 per cent between the two periods and making up 4.6 per cent of the total.
The No 1 importer was India, with 13 per cent of total arms sold in the 2012-16 period.
International sales make up 5 to 10 per cent of total sales and the company is hoping to raise that to 20 per cent or more in five years, said Mr Abukhaled.
The company is trying to boost sales of its command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems in the Middle East.
It also wants to sell cybersecurity, radars and unmanned vehicles, specifically robotics, among other products and services.
Northrop reported a 4 per cent increase in full-year sales last year to US$24.5 billion, while net earnings rose by 11 per cent to $2.2bn. The company’s missions systems unit, the biggest source of revenue, had sales of $10.92bn, while its aerospace systems had sales of $10.82bn last year.
The company in 2015 clinched a contract to implement the estimated $80bn programme to build the US air force’s new B-21 long-range bomber, known as the Raider.
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Idex 2017
Karim Sahib / AFP
■ Idex 2017 opens in Abu Dhabi – in pictures
■ Dh4.41bn worth of arms deals struck on day one of defence show
■ UK's Hesco hopes to employ UAE war veterans at its Al Ain factory
■ Mena defence spending to rise this year as conflicts create demand for arms
■ UAE will count on technologies to keep terror threats at bay
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dalsaadi@thenational.ae
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Two products to make at home
Toilet cleaner
1 cup baking soda
1 cup castile soap
10-20 drops of lemon essential oil (or another oil of your choice)
Method:
1. Mix the baking soda and castile soap until you get a nice consistency.
2. Add the essential oil to the mix.
Air Freshener
100ml water
5 drops of the essential oil of your choice (note: lavender is a nice one for this)
Method:
1. Add water and oil to spray bottle to store.
2. Shake well before use.
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:
Ajax 2-3 Tottenham
Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate
Final: June 1, Madrid
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Family reunited
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was born and raised in Tehran and studied English literature before working as a translator in the relief effort for the Japanese International Co-operation Agency in 2003.
She moved to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies before moving to the World Health Organisation as a communications officer.
She came to the UK in 2007 after securing a scholarship at London Metropolitan University to study a master's in communication management and met her future husband through mutual friends a month later.
The couple were married in August 2009 in Winchester and their daughter was born in June 2014.
She was held in her native country a year later.
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3EName%3A%20DarDoc%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Samer%20Masri%2C%20Keswin%20Suresh%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20HealthTech%3Cbr%3ETotal%20funding%3A%20%24800%2C000%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Flat6Labs%2C%20angel%20investors%20%2B%20Incubated%20by%20Hub71%2C%20Abu%20Dhabi's%20Department%20of%20Health%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%2010%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Monster
Directed by: Anthony Mandler
Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., John David Washington
3/5
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
Playing records of the top 10 in 2017
How many games the top 10 have undertaken in the 2017 ATP season
1. Rafael Nadal 58 (49-9)
2. Andy Murray 35 (25-10)
3. Roger Federer 38 (35-3)
4. Stan Wawrinka 37 (26-11)
5. Novak Djokovic 40 (32-8)
6. Alexander Zverev 60 (46-14)
7. Marin Cilic 43 (29-14)
8. Dominic Thiem 60 (41-19)
9. Grigor Dimitrov 48 (34-14)
10. Kei Nishikori 43 (30-13)
