EDGE, the advanced technology group for defence and beyond, today, 9 March, 2020, announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tawazun Economic Council (Tawazun), the defence and security industry enabler responsible for the creation and development of a sustainable industry in the UAE. The agreement enables EDGE to offer exceptional UAE nationals the prospect of participating in development programmes, and benefiting from job placement opportunities and internships in the advanced technology, defence and security domains through the Sustain & Enhance Emiratisation in Defence and Security (SEEDS) Program.
The MoU was signed between Dr Fahad Al Yafei, President – Platforms & Systems, EDGE, and Matar Ali Al Romaithi, Chief Economic Development Officer of Tawazun Economic Council.
Part of the latest initiative under the Tawazun Economic Program, SEEDS will empower EDGE to bring together and train talented UAE nationals from Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi Polytechnic, United Arab Emirates University, and the Higher College of Technology, who are pursuing degrees in engineering and computer science. SEEDS will also help facilitate EDGE’s presence in universities, allowing the company to showcase its capabilities.EDGE, the advanced technology group for defence and beyond, today, 2 March, 2020 2 March, 2020, named the presidents of three clusters.
EDGE appoints Dr Fahad Al Yafei as President of Platforms & Systems, Hamad Al Marar as President of Missiles & Weapons, and Khalid Al Breiki as President of Mission Support.
Providing valuable strategic direction, Dr Al Yafei takes charge of Platforms & Systems and its business functions. The role will see him responsible for ensuring the cluster’s entities – which include ADASI, ADSB, Al Jasoor, Al Taif, AMMROC, EARTH, and NIMR – leverage advanced technology across the full lifecycle of air, land and sea vehicles and systems, in order to enhance operational effectiveness and turnaround times. In addition to his new position at EDGE, he serves as Chairman of ADSB and Al Jasoor. He is also a member of the Boards of Directors at Emirates Transport and Al Forsan. Dr Al Yafei was formerly Chief Programs Officer at Tawazun Economic Council.
Meanwhile, the Missiles & Weapons cluster is set to benefit from the extensive experience of Hamad Al Marar, who will embed a leading-edge approach among Al Tariq, APT, Caracal, Halcon, and Lahab within his cluster, maximising precision and effectiveness to keep the armed forces ahead of emerging threats. In his earlier post as Chief Consulting Officer at Tawazun Economic Council, Al Marar played an instrumental role in establishing national defence entities including Caracal, EPI, Halcon, Lahab and NIMR.
Khalid Al Breiki, former Chief Executive Officer of GAL, brings substantial knowledge of the aviation sector to his role, having held multiple positions within the aircraft design, qualification, and maintenance domains. His in-depth understanding of technology acquisition and strategic deployment programmes will be critical in developing the Mission Support cluster, and in evolving the strategic visions and targets of its entities as they target peak readiness and delivering front-line support. Al Breiki will oversee Al Hosn, EPI, ERS, ETS, GAL, Horizon, Jaheziya, Knowledge Point, and Remaya. He has previously served as the Managing Director of the Commercial Division of YAS Holding and CEO of GAL Air Navigation Services.
