Saab, a defence technology solutions supplier, has officially established its development and production centre in Abu Dhabi at Tawazun Industrial Park, TIP, the hub for strategic defence and aerospace manufacturing.

The facility was inaugurated on Thursday, in the presence of Saif Mohammed Al Hajri, Board Member of Tawazun Economic Council; Major General Staff Pilot Ibrahim Nasir Al-Alawi, Commander of the UAE Air Force and Air Defence; Tareq Abdulrahim Al Hosani, Chief Executive Officer of Tawazun Economic Council; Hakan Buskhe, President and CEO of Saab, and a number of senior officials.

Saab’s facility will serve as a centre for development and production of a variety of defence and security products with an initial focus on sensor systems.

In a speech during the opening ceremony, Al Hosani said, "I congratulate Saab on their strategic decision to establish this facility at TIP. This decision emphasises the UAE’s importance as an industrial and commercial hub for strategic industries and demonstrates Saab’s commitment to serving their wide base of customers in the region and beyond."

"TIP is the ideal choice for our long-term partners to establish bases for their worldwide operations. With its strategic location and world-class infrastructure in a safe and secure environment, and access to integrated logistics networks, TIP offers defence and security contractors and leaders the unique ability to have full ownership of their business operations and to tap into the local and regional opportunities," he added.

"When Saab establishes operations in the UAE, a new home market is created, from where we in the future can export to other countries as well", said Hakan Buskhe, adding that "at the same time, this will contribute to the development of engineering skills and creating high-tech jobs in UAE."

Created by Tawazun Economic Council, TIP plays host to strategic industrial sectors with a focus on defence manufacturing. The industrial park has infrastructure put in place to support this crucial industry with upstream and downstream clusters around it. The park is already home to over 17 companies, specialising in advanced precision manufacturing, system integration, aerospace components, basic metal and oil and gas service.

With a capacity to accommodate 37,000 workers, TIP provides a one-stop-shop with complete industrial infrastructure, real estate, specialised ammunition production and storage facilities, staff accommodation and on-site services, which ease the process of setting up production facilities.