Strata close to receiving certification for Boeing plane parts


  • English
  • Arabic

Boeing is close to certifying the UAE to manufacture parts for its 777 and 787 aircraft. It comes as the Seattle-based plane maker ramps up sales throughout the region.

In November, Boeing signed a deal with Strata, Mubadala’s aerostructures manufacturing plant in Al Ain, to supply as much as US$2.5 billion in advanced composites and machined metals to Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner and 777X.

“Strata is in the process of getting certified to manufacture those ribs and they go inside the vertical fins for the worldwide market. This is very exciting and it’s a complicated part,” said Jeff Johnson, the president of Boeing Middle East.

“The certification should be this year. In fact, I hope very soon,” he added.

The company expects to sell about 2,610 planes in the Middle East worth $550bn over the next 20 years, according to its market outlook.

About 70 per cent of those planes are for growth. Worldwide, the trend differs – as much as 60 per cent of the new aircraft in the rest of the world are for fleet replacement.

“I think the Middle East is about 12 to 15 per cent of the worldwide market, so it’s big,” said Mr Johnson. “I think it is a solid market if you look at where the Middle East and the UAE sit on the globe. They happen to be within eight hours from two-thirds of the world’s population.”

The American company is also keen to tap into underserved markets in the region such as Iraq and Afghanistan, especially as their security situations improve.

“Look at Iraq. Iraq is 50 million people. I don’t know when peace will break out and security will get better, but they have huge oil reserves. Also, there are a lot of Iraqis internationally that are going to move [there],” said Mr Johnson.

“Afghanistan, I don’t know if this is a big market, but again there are elections and things will look better. I think there are enough emerging countries that are untapped that still will make the Middle East a huge market.”

The UAE also plays a significant role for Boeing. Not only do half the orders for the Middle East come from the country, but making the parts locally saves the company money.

Boeing believes the UAE manufacturing facility represents “a win-win” for itself and the UAE.

“We want to make a lower cost and a better capability production here. It is part of cost reduction and solidifying our supply chain. It matches the [Abu Dhabi] national vision of 2030. I think all of that together is a win-win,” said Mr Johnson.

Investing in the aerospace industry falls under Abu Dhabi’s 2030 vision to create a diverse and sustainable economy away from oil.

selgazzar@thenational.ae

In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
  • Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000 
  • Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000 
  • Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000 
  • Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000 
  • HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000 
  • Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000 
  • Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000 
  • Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000 
  • Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000 
  • Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000 
  • Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000 
  • Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
  • Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
  • Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
Conflict, drought, famine

Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.

Band Aid

Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.

What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

SPECS

Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now

Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

Why seagrass matters
  • Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
  • Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
  • Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
  • Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
2024%20Dubai%20Marathon%20Results
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EWomen%E2%80%99s%20race%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E1.%20Tigist%20Ketema%20(ETH)%202hrs%2016min%207sec%0D%3Cbr%3E2.%20Ruti%20Aga%20(ETH)%202%3A18%3A09%0D%3Cbr%3E3.%20Dera%20Dida%20(ETH)%202%3A19%3A29%0D%3Cbr%3EMen's%20race%3A%0D%3Cbr%3E1.%20Addisu%20Gobena%20(ETH)%202%3A05%3A01%0D%3Cbr%3E2.%20Lemi%20Dumicha%20(ETH)%202%3A05%3A20%0D%3Cbr%3E3.%20DejeneMegersa%20(ETH)%202%3A05%3A42%3C%2Fp%3E%0A