Abu Dhabi, UAE. 25 February 2021. The Emirates Defence Companies Council (EDCC) and the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED), signed a Memorandum of Understanding, aimed at building a strategic partnership to support the defense and security sector and to align its goals with the industrial strategy of Abu Dhabi to further boost the Emirate’s competitive advantages.
The signing ceremony took place today at Tawazun’s Pavilion in the International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX 2021) and Naval Defence Exhibition (NAVDEX 2021).
The MOU was signed by H.E. Rashed Abdul Karim Al Balooshi, Undersecretary of ADDED and Matar Ali Al Romaithi, Board Chairman of the EDCC, in the presence of Anas Nasser Al Otaiba, Director General of the EDCC, and a number of senior officials.
The MOU provides for cooperation in the areas of research & development, exchange of expertise, aligning industrial strategy with the defense and security industry’s role in building a sustainable, knowledge-based economy in the Emirate and promoting the Abu Dhabi Local Content Program (ADLC) within defense and security sectors.
Rashid Al Balooshi said that through the Industrial Development Bureau (IDB), ADDED seeks to regulate and develop the industrial sector in the emirate and to sustain innovation as an effective element in Abu Dhabi’s economy.
“IDB aims at ensuring a competitive environment in Abu Dhabi’s emerging industrial sector. The defense and security industry is a promising sector that is poised to add great value to the emirate’s economic performance in the coming years,” he added.
He continued by saying the IDB provides incentives that are certainly going to benefit the defense and security industry and reinforce its competitive edge.
“We look forward to this cooperation with the EDCC in providing an ideal environment for the growth of this important sector and we are very keen to strengthen our strategic partnership by developing joint initiatives and programs to support local defense companies.”
“The defense and security sector is playing a growing role in support of economic diversification and sustainable development drive,” said Matar Al Romaithi.
“Through collaboration and partnerships with the various Government departments, the EDCC seeks to provide a competitive and attractive environment for the defense and security companies,” he added.
Al Romaithi noted that the EDCC will work very closely with the ADDED’s Industrial Development Bureau (IDB) to consolidate defense companies in the national industrial sector and encourage them to develop their services and processes to meet the Bureau’s required standards and to garner benefit from the Department’s export incentives programs.
“This MOU provides a driving force to our endeavors to boost the competitive advantage of the defense companies and to increase the export capacity. The EDCC will also work to promote IDB’s services and benefits through its online platforms, brochures and manuals and during its participation in local and international events.”
The Emirates Defence Companies Council was founded as an initiative supported by the Ministry of Defense, the UAE Armed Forces and Tawazun Economic Council, with the aim of enabling national defense companies.
EDCC also seeks to provide an a suitable environment for the defense companies to develop their products and services in according to international standards and best practices and enable them to contribute to the development of industrial sector and to ongoing drive to diversify sources of income for the UAE.
