Nimr's chief commercial officer Khaled Al Zaabi with one of the company's armoured military vehicles. Victor Besa / The National
Nimr's chief commercial officer Khaled Al Zaabi with one of the company's armoured military vehicles. Victor Besa / The National
Nimr's chief commercial officer Khaled Al Zaabi with one of the company's armoured military vehicles. Victor Besa / The National
Nimr's chief commercial officer Khaled Al Zaabi with one of the company's armoured military vehicles. Victor Besa / The National

Idex 2021: Defence company Nimr plans to boost military vehicle exports


Fareed Rahman
  • English
  • Arabic

Abu Dhabi’s Nimr plans to export its military vehicles to more countries to boost growth, a senior executive said.

The company, part of the emirate’s defence conglomerate Edge, currently exports to nine countries, including Saudi Arabia and other nations in the Mena region.

“Demand is there but also the competition is fierce and this is why we wanted to ensure that we develop our vehicles to be globally competitive," said Khaled Al Zaabi, chief commercial officer of Nimr, on the sidelines of the International Defence Exhibition and Conference.

"That is what allowed us to really push the envelope as much as we can.”

The company unveiled its second-generation Ajban 4x4 and Hafeet 6x6 armoured vehicles during Idex this week.

The new vehicles “have improved all capabilities in all aspects, whether it is protection, mobility, payload or number of crew”, said Mr Al Zaabi.

“The price is the same or lower than what it was for first-generation [vehicles].”

Gulf countries, particularly the UAE and Saudi Arabia, are pushing to ensure military equipment is manufactured locally as they focus on reducing their economic reliance on oil.

The company has two plants – one in Tawazun Industrial Park in Abu Dhabi and the other in Al Ain. It also has a plant in Algeria that produces vehicles that cater to the North African country’s market.

Mr Al Zaabi said Nimr is working very closely with Saudi Arabia and “we are going to be announcing developments” with the kingdom.

“There is a great collaboration in the pipeline between us and the kingdom,” he said, without providing further details.

The company’s 3.8-hectare plant in Tawazun Industrial Park has the capacity to manufacture more than 1,500 vehicles a year and caters to specific contracts, he said.

“We have a lot of future plans in our vehicles. What we wanted to do is first develop our Ajban and Hafeet vehicles,” he said.

“We are really ambitious and excited about the prospects of autonomous capabilities and hybrid drive technology. There is a lot of effort that is going to be done to upgrade our vehicles into really technology-focused capabilities.”

Nimr is one of 25 entities that make up Edge – a defence group formed in 2019 that specialises in developing advanced technology for weapons systems, cyber protection and electronic warfare.

Other businesses in the conglomerate include Adasi, Abu Dhabi Ship Building and arms manufacturer Caracal.

Specs

Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric

Range: Up to 610km

Power: 905hp

Torque: 985Nm

Price: From Dh439,000

Available: Now

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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On the menu

First course

▶ Emirati sea bass tartare Yuzu and labneh mayo, avocado, green herbs, fermented tomato water  

▶ The Tale of the Oyster Oyster tartare, Bahraini gum berry pickle

Second course

▶ Local mackerel Sourdough crouton, baharat oil, red radish, zaatar mayo

▶ One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Quail, smoked freekeh, cinnamon cocoa

Third course

▶ Bahraini bouillabaisse Venus clams, local prawns, fishfarm seabream, farro

▶ Lamb 2 ways Braised lamb, crispy lamb chop, bulgur, physalis

Dessert

▶ Lumi Black lemon ice cream, pistachio, pomegranate

▶ Black chocolate bar Dark chocolate, dates, caramel, camel milk ice cream
 

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The story of Edge

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, established Edge in 2019.

It brought together 25 state-owned and independent companies specialising in weapons systems, cyber protection and electronic warfare.

Edge has an annual revenue of $5 billion and employs more than 12,000 people.

Some of the companies include Nimr, a maker of armoured vehicles, Caracal, which manufactures guns and ammunitions company, Lahab

 

The Bio

Favourite place in UAE: Al Rams pearling village

What one book should everyone read: Any book written before electricity was invented. When a writer willingly worked under candlelight, you know he/she had a real passion for their craft

Your favourite type of pearl: All of them. No pearl looks the same and each carries its own unique characteristics, like humans

Best time to swim in the sea: When there is enough light to see beneath the surface

The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X

Price, as tested: Dh84,000

Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo

Transmission: Six-speed auto

Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm

Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km

Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.

A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.

Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.

A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.

On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.

The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.

Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.

The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later. 

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.

THE SPECS

Touareg Highline

Engine: 3.0-litre, V6

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Power: 340hp

Torque: 450Nm

Price: Dh239,312

The specs: 2018 Jeep Compass

Price, base: Dh100,000 (estimate)

Engine: 2.4L four-cylinder

Transmission: Nine-speed automatic

Power: 184bhp at 6,400rpm

Torque: 237Nm at 3,900rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 9.4L / 100km

Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

Sour%20Grapes
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The specs: 2017 Porsche 718 Cayman

Price, base / as tested Dh222,500 / Dh296,870

Engine 2.0L, flat four-cylinder

Transmission Seven-speed PDK

Power 300hp @ 6,500rpm

Torque 380hp @ 1,950rpm

Fuel economy, combined 6.9L / 100km

Score

Third Test, Day 2

New Zealand 274
Pakistan 139-3 (61 ov)

Pakistan trail by 135 runs with 7 wickets remaining in the innings