Abu Dhabi-based Nimr, part of defence conglomerate Edge, has signed an agreement with Saudi Arabian Military Industries (Sami) to transfer technology for manufacturing JAIS 4x4 military vehicles in the kingdom.
The two companies signed the deal during the World Defence Show 2022 held in Riyadh this week. Nimr and Sami had signed a co-operation agreement during the International Defence Exhibition (Idex) held in Abu Dhabi last year.
“The new agreement further solidifies the partnership between Sami and Nimr,” Walid Abukhaled, chief executive of Sami, said on Thursday.
“With this manufacturing licence agreement, we at Sami are taking a huge step towards our mission to develop world-class defence technologies and systems within Saudi Arabia, in line with the Vision 2030 objective to localise 50 per cent of the kingdom’s military spending.”
Gulf countries, particularly the UAE and Saudi Arabia, are working to localise manufacture of military equipment as they focus on reducing their economic reliance on oil.
Sami, which operates through five main divisions, aims to generate $5 billion in annual sales by 2025 as it looks to become one of the top 25 defence companies in the world. The company is owned by the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund.
Nimr is one of the 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.
“It is truly a defining moment for us to enter the first major defence procurement programme between the UAE and Saudi Arabia,” said Abri du Plessis, chief executive of Nimr.
Nimr plans to export its military vehicles to more countries. It unveiled its second-generation Ajban 4x4 and Hafeet 6x6 armoured vehicles during Idex last year.
Saudi Arabia signed deals worth 29.7bn Saudi riyals ($7.9bn) during its inaugural World Defence Show, which concluded this week.
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Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
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Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
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Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
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Tomorrow 2021
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This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
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Kareem Shaheen on Canada
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
WHEN TO GO:
September to November or March to May; this is when visitors are most likely to see what they’ve come for.
WHERE TO STAY:
Meghauli Serai, A Taj Safari - Chitwan National Park resort (tajhotels.com) is a one-hour drive from Bharatpur Airport with stays costing from Dh1,396 per night, including taxes and breakfast. Return airport transfers cost from Dh661.
HOW TO GET THERE:
Etihad Airways regularly flies from Abu Dhabi to Kathmandu from around Dh1,500 per person return, including taxes. Buddha Air (buddhaair.com) and Yeti Airlines (yetiairlines.com) fly from Kathmandu to Bharatpur several times a day from about Dh660 return and the flight takes just 20 minutes. Driving is possible but the roads are hilly which means it will take you five or six hours to travel 148 kilometres.
Results:
6.30pm: Maiden Dh 165,000 1,400m.
Winner: Walking Thunder, Connor Beasley (jockey), Ahmad bin Harmash (trainer).
7.05pm: Handicap (rated 72-87) Dh 165,000 1,600m.
Winner: Syncopation, George Buckell, Doug Watson.
7.40pm: Maiden Dh 165,000 1,400m.
Winner: Big Brown Bear, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
8.15pm: Handicap (75-95) Dh 190,000 1,200m.
Winner: Stunned, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
8.50pm: Handicap (85-105) Dh 210,000 2,000m.
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
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- 600-seat auditorium
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Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
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pakistan Test squad
Azhar Ali (capt), Shan Masood, Abid Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Fawad Alam, Haris Sohail, Imran Khan, Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Abbas, Yasir Shah, Usman Shinwari
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PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Tuesday (UAE kick-off times)
Leicester City v Brighton (9pm)
Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United (11.15pm)
Wednesday
Manchester United v Sheffield United (9pm)
Newcastle United v Aston Villa (9pm)
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Wolves v Bournemouth (9pm)
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Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
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