UAE

Cutting-edge drones on display in Abu Dhabi desert

The latest flying technology was put to the test in a live demonstration as part of the Unmanned Systems Exhibition and Conference

The National

February 23, 2022

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A state-of-the-art fleet of drones took to the sky for a striking demonstration of advanced technologies in the Abu Dhabi desert on Wednesday.

The live demonstration, held at Tilal Swaihan, was part of the Unmanned Systems Exhibition and Conference being staged in the capital.

The event showcased the latest in “swarming” aerial drones and unmanned light aircraft and ground vehicles from major manufacturers.

The live show was an opportunity to see the advanced designs take flight and offered a glimpse into their potential to boost a number of sectors, from providing military assistance to use in civilian and environmental fields.

Kungsorn, a drone made by UAE-based Cynax Labs, was put through its paces in the Abu Dhabi desert. Nilanjana Gupta / The National
Kungsorn, a drone made by UAE-based Cynax Labs, was put through its paces in the Abu Dhabi desert. Nilanjana Gupta / The National

Cutting-edge crafts such as Garmoosha by UAE defence conglomerate Edge, the mini-helicopter-style Blowfish A3, and swarm drones designed for co-ordinated combat by China's Zhuhai Ziyan were among the creations on show.

Aerial inventions were not the only creations on display, however, with a firefighting robot from Abu Dhabi Civil Defence also being put through its paces.

The Blowfish A3, for example, is made by Zhuhai Ziyan and is based on a helicopter design, which means that it gives more maneuverability and more control to the operator.

"You can also see that there are four magnetic contacts located on the landing gear," said service engineer, Sikander Azam. "What it does is that if a moving vehicle or if a ship is carrying this aircraft, it can take off automatically and follow the ship or the moving vehicle. Then it can land by itself according to the command executed by the operator using the aircraft."

The Kungsorn, a drone made by UAE-based Cynax Labs, was also put through its paces. The vertical take-off and landing drone is particularly geared to intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. It can operate at 4,876 metres and has a flight time of three hours.

"Our added value is that we can do facial recognition, object detection, vehicle detection, and also automatic license plate recognition," said the company's vice president, Abhijeet Darshan.

"Now for an operator who is conducting missions in the intelligence surveillance reconnaissance, this information is absolutely valuable."

The fifth annual Umex has been organised by Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company in partnership with the Ministry of Defence.

The exhibition focuses on the defence, environmental, civil and humanitarian benefits of unmanned systems and is attended by regional government delegations and industry, military and civilian authorities from across the globe.

Umex drone show - in pictures

  • The Scorpio-B can be equipped with remote weapon systems, twin 40mm grenade launchers, pan-tilt-zoom cameras and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance sensors with the possibility to mount various payloads of up to 200kg. All photos: Victor Besa / The National
    The Scorpio-B can be equipped with remote weapon systems, twin 40mm grenade launchers, pan-tilt-zoom cameras and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance sensors with the possibility to mount various payloads of up to 200kg. All photos: Victor Besa / The National
  • The VooDoo-M Multi-Mission Thermal Sight by Pixels.
    The VooDoo-M Multi-Mission Thermal Sight by Pixels.
  • The UKRSPEC Systems drone.
    The UKRSPEC Systems drone.
  • Robotic Targets by Marathon Target Australia.
    Robotic Targets by Marathon Target Australia.
  • Abu Dhabi Police smart Police Car.
    Abu Dhabi Police smart Police Car.
  • AUH Police Smart Police Car.
    AUH Police Smart Police Car.
  • AM Industries stall.
    AM Industries stall.
  • Mahgoub Omer attaches the foam mixer of the RS3 firefighting robot by Thermite.
    Mahgoub Omer attaches the foam mixer of the RS3 firefighting robot by Thermite.
  • The Abu Dhabi Police VR Rowing Machine.
    The Abu Dhabi Police VR Rowing Machine.
  • Cristanini CBRN decontamination system.
    Cristanini CBRN decontamination system.
  • Schiebel Camcopter S-100.
    Schiebel Camcopter S-100.
  • The Kaman Kargo drone. Victor Besa / The National
    The Kaman Kargo drone. Victor Besa / The National
  • Emirati aeronautical engineers test the Interdata system at UMEX.
    Emirati aeronautical engineers test the Interdata system at UMEX.
  • The Skeldar V-150.
    The Skeldar V-150.
  • The PE-04 by Etimad.
    The PE-04 by Etimad.
  • DOK-ING presented Komodo, an innovative remote-controlled robotic system for operations in extreme nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) conditions at its headquarters in Zagreb. It is a unique machine that can operate in conditions of an open fire, explosion, collapse, high concentrations of explosive and toxic substances, as well as in terrorist threats.
    DOK-ING presented Komodo, an innovative remote-controlled robotic system for operations in extreme nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) conditions at its headquarters in Zagreb. It is a unique machine that can operate in conditions of an open fire, explosion, collapse, high concentrations of explosive and toxic substances, as well as in terrorist threats.
  • Edge's Shadow series drone is displayed on the opening day of Umex at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.
    Edge's Shadow series drone is displayed on the opening day of Umex at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.
  • A Hunter 2-S drone, which can be used in 'swarming' air-to-ground attacks.
    A Hunter 2-S drone, which can be used in 'swarming' air-to-ground attacks.
  • The Edge stand at Umex.
    The Edge stand at Umex.
  • The Garmoosha by Edge is displayed on the opening day of Umex.
    The Garmoosha by Edge is displayed on the opening day of Umex.
  • The QX-6, another Edge product.
    The QX-6, another Edge product.
  • An unmanned Amed Robotic Vehicle.
    An unmanned Amed Robotic Vehicle.
  • The 71S by Edge.
    The 71S by Edge.
  • The QX-3 by Edge.
    The QX-3 by Edge.
  • The Scorpio-B by Edge.
    The Scorpio-B by Edge.
  • The Edge Shadow series.
    The Edge Shadow series.

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

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