Saab Partners with Tawazun Council to Deliver Sovereign 3D-printing Capability for the UAE Air Force and Air Defence
Saab has signed an agreement with Tawazun Council for the establishment of a sovereign additive manufacturing capability (also known as 3D printing) for the UAE Air Force and Air Defence (AFAD) aimed at efficiently designing and manufacturing spare parts.
The agreement was signed at Tawazun chalet at IDEX 2023 and NAVDEX 2023 by Abdullah Saif Al Awani, CEO Economic Program at Tawazun Council, and Anna-Karin Rosén Managing Director of Saab in the UAE.
The agreement followed the launch of the first Emirati 3D printing Center of Excellence, “Sindan”. This agreement is aimed at meeting several of the policy guidelines outlined as part of Tawazun’s Economic Program objectives, including providing strategic benefits to the UAE, encouraging knowledge transfer, building new capabilities, creating employment opportunities for UAE nationals, and targeting aerospace and additive manufacturing as priority sectors.
By empowering the UAE AFAD with the sovereign additive manufacturing capability to 3D print parts, the partnership will make it more self-reliant and less dependent on overseas suppliers, reduce lead-time and costs for components to be delivered, and increase the uptime and availability of crucial military assets.
Anna-Karin Rosén, said: “Saab is deeply committed to being an important strategic partner to the UAE’s AFAD, and we are honoured by the prospect of cooperating with Tawazun as it seeks to strengthen sovereign manufacturing capabilities that will ensure sustainable growth of the defence sector. Our agreement is poised to accomplish this, while also leveraging the promising potential of the nation’s workforce by providing UAE nationals with high value training and employment opportunities that will equip them with the skills to lead and further develop the industry for years to come.”
Abdullah Al Awani said: “The partnership reflects Tawazun Council's ongoing efforts to develop and manage strategic partnerships in the defence industry sector, which have significant economic implications for the UAE. This collaboration benefits all parties by creating value through locally manufactured products, promoting self-sufficiency and human capability development, and supporting local manufacturing. Additionally, it facilitates the transfer of technology and enhances the UAE's sovereign capabilities in the areas of air force and air defence.
Saab has over 20 years of experience in the additive manufacturing (3D-printing) industry, and is considered a pioneer of the technology in Sweden. It has access to a large network of carefully vetted hardware and software suppliers and has an innate understanding of which solutions are best suited to the AFAD’s needs, making it the ideal partner for such a partnership with Tawazun.