40 years of the UAE

[Al Bhatti]

Nov 18, 2011

The very model of industry

From rifles and Land Rovers to precision-guided missiles and fighter jets, the UAE's defence has changed markedly since 1971.

Today the country's military men and women are equipped with some of the most advanced hardware in the world.

"The UAE is upgrading its defence systems," says Gen Khalid Al Bu-Ainnain, the president of the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis. "The UAE and the Gulf are an increasingly important defence market."

The UAE was the fourth-biggest global spender on defence between 2005 and 2009, investing US$6.5 billion (Dh23.87bn) in armaments and military, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute says.

It is in negotiations with international defence companies to buy fighter and training jets, as well as transport and early warning aircraft, attack helicopters and missile shields.

But the UAE is increasingly keen to move from a buyer to a supplier of military equipment.

The growing list of UAE companies engaged in military outsourcing, manufacturing and training is being driven by initiatives from state-backed players including Mubadala Development, Tawazun Holding and Emirates Advanced Investment.

The latest such venture is Bayanat, a project of Mubadala. Bayanat will manage the military's mapping and terrain data, and provide services to private industry.

Aviation, aerospace and defence are central to Abu Dhabi's 2030 development plan.

The first steps are being taken in Al Ain, where Mubadala and Abu Dhabi Airports Company are building an aerospace cluster; and at Zayed Military City, where Tawazun is developing its Tawazun Industrial Park focused on the arms industry.

Mubadala Aerospace announced in July it had reached a milestone with its manufacturing subsidiary, Strata of Al Ain. The aerospace company shipped its first consignment of advanced carbon-fibre composite aileron panels to Airbus for the A330 and A340 aircraft.

At this week's Dubai Airshow, Mubadala Aerospace signed a deal to supply aircraft parts to the US plane maker Boeing.

"They will be building major composite aerostructures for us and be one of the partners that we are looking for to build airplanes today and airplanes in the future," said Jim Albaugh, the president and chief executive of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

The country is also making inroads into other industries. To reach its goal of becoming an industrial powerhouse, officials aim to capitalise on three major advantages: affordable labour, abundant energy supplies and proximity to Asia, Europe and Africa.

Arguably one of the most ambitious projects to date is the Khalifa Industrial Zone of Abu Dhabi (Kizad), which will aim to attract international industrial names to form partnerships with local ventures.

The first phase of Kizad is due to open by the end of next year. It is planned to cover 417 square kilometres - or two thirds the size of Singapore - in the coming years as part of Abu Dhabi's 2030 economic vision.

The zone is seeking to attract aluminium and steel producers, and companies from sectors including food and pharmaceuticals, construction and logistics, and paper and glass.

Dubai set the standard for creating an industrial heartland in 1985 when it established Jebel Ali Free Zone.

It has since become one of the fastest-growing free zones in the world, with a range of leading international industrial and logistical companies.

The very model of industry - The National

 

[nirreich]

Take the oil out and UAE is not even worth a footnote in the history of the world.

 

[Mosamania]

Take the oil out and UAE is not even worth a footnote in the history of the world.

That's the thing Israeli troll. They are moving away from oil and I know this makes you lose some sleep. Knowing that the Arabs you hate so much will one day rival your sorry excuse of a country.

 

[Pfpilot]

Take the oil out and UAE is not even worth a footnote in the history of the world.

Take the Americans out and neither would Israel. In all seriousness, we must all deal with the hands we've been dealt. UAE maybe all oil rich, but their are many oil rich nations that have accomplished absolutely nothing of value with the so called, black gold. UAE is far better off than most of it's neighbors. The whole argument about oil being their only road to success has been used as an insult...but it lacks merit in the sense that the US would never have been able to build itself up if it wasn't rewarded with a huge parcel of land, loaded with natural resources of all kinds and a massive population. It's not enough to have potential, real success requires foresight and hard work and as jealous as I may of the embarrassment of riches the Arabs possess, UAE has done a better job than most to invest it right back into the nation.
For contrast, see my nation, a large and youthful population, resources to spare, perfect geographic location and we have squandered it all.

 

[Mosamania]

Take the Americans out and neither would Israel. In all seriousness, we must all deal with the hands we've been dealt. UAE maybe all oil rich, but their are many oil rich nations that have accomplished absolutely nothing of value with the so called, black gold. UAE is far better off than most of it's neighbors. The whole argument about oil being their only road to success has been used as an insult...but it lacks merit in the sense that the US would never have been able to build itself up if it wasn't rewarded with a huge parcel of land, loaded with natural resources of all kinds and a massive population. It's not enough to have potential, real success requires foresight and hard work and as jealous as I may of the embarrassment of riches the Arabs possess, UAE has done a better job than most to invest it right back into the nation.
For contrast, see my nation, a large and youthful population, resources to spare, perfect geographic location and we have squandered it all.

2015 you will see the investment in the nation Saudi arabia has been doing pay off. Only difference between us and the UAE they started earlier.

 

[nirreich]

Take the Americans out and neither would Israel. In all seriousness, we must all deal with the hands we've been dealt. UAE maybe all oil rich, but their are many oil rich nations that have accomplished absolutely nothing of value with the so called, black gold. UAE is far better off than most of it's neighbors. The whole argument about oil being their only road to success has been used as an insult...but it lacks merit in the sense that the US would never have been able to build itself up if it wasn't rewarded with a huge parcel of land, loaded with natural resources of all kinds and a massive population. It's not enough to have potential, real success requires foresight and hard work and as jealous as I may of the embarrassment of riches the Arabs possess, UAE has done a better job than most to invest it right back into the nation.
For contrast, see my nation, a large and youthful population, resources to spare, perfect geographic location and we have squandered it all.

What I meant was that UAE is only based on oil, there are no other achievements. Once the money will stop pouring, it will deteriorate to something like Yemen.

The US has much more than natural resources which made it a superpower and Israel has almost no natural resources.

To say that Israel cannot exist with the US is misunderstanding of reality, in understatement. Israel received its independence without the US and although the US is an important ally nowadays Israel receive less financial assistance from Washington than Pakistan.

 

[nirreich]

That's the thing Israeli troll. They are moving away from oil and I know this makes you lose some sleep. Knowing that the Arabs you hate so much will one day rival your sorry excuse of a country.

I sleep quite good, thank you. I more worried about the potential rivalry of the Central African Republic to Israel than the potential challenge of the Arab countries which currently looks even lamer than usual with the so-called "Arab Spring".

As for the KSA, like the UAE it got nothing other than tonnes of sands and Islamic extremist of the Wahhabi. In 50 years there will not be any more oil in KSA and there will be much more reliable sources of energy than oil. KSA will be once again return to be a pack of barbaric tribes fighting on pieces of oasis.

 

[Pfpilot]

What I meant was that UAE is only based on oil, there are no other achievements. Once the money will stop pouring, it will deteriorate to something like Yemen.

The US has much more than natural resources which made it a superpower and Israel has almost no natural resources.

To say that Israel cannot exist with the US is misunderstanding of reality, in understatement. Israel received its independence without the US and although the US is an important ally nowadays Israel receive less financial assistance from Washington than Pakistan.

My friend, I was kidding. I still believe UAE has a far more stable future ahead of it then many nations in that region. They may rely on oil as their main revenue source, but they have atleast utilized all that money to invest in other sectors of their economy. As Mosamania pointed out, Saudi Arabia has done the same recently. Now does that mean, some one else would not have done a better job with this weatlh? We can only speculate. But as far as the question of oil goes, UAE would not revert back to a lesser nation, simply because the economy has diversified to an extent that it would not be as big a problem as people think. They might not be able to maintain their current standard of living, but that is pretty outrageous to begin with...no one in the world can maintain that.
As far as the US is concerned, the nation owes its initial growth and entry into global politics due to its industrial might...much of which is based on the resources and manpower it inherited. Again, not to take anything away from their accomplishments...I already pointed out Pakistan has similar advantages and has failed miserably in employing them. But the point remains, some nations have some inherent advantages and it is not wrong for them to make use of them. And that is the only reason I brought up Israel, it owes it's massive military budget and border security to US investment, whether in the past or present...without it, the nation would survive...possibly in a slightly diminished capacity, militarily speaking...the same is true for UAE's economy.

 

[nirreich]

My friend, I was kidding. I still believe UAE has a far more stable future ahead of it then many nations in that region. They may rely on oil as their main revenue source, but they have atleast utilized all that money to invest in other sectors of their economy. As Mosamania pointed out, Saudi Arabia has done the same recently. Now does that mean, some one else would not have done a better job with this weatlh? We can only speculate. But as far as the question of oil goes, UAE would not revert back to a lesser nation, simply because the economy has diversified to an extent that it would not be as big a problem as people think. They might not be able to maintain their current standard of living, but that is pretty outrageous to begin with...no one in the world can maintain that.
As far as the US is concerned, the nation owes its initial growth and entry into global politics due to its industrial might...much of which is based on the resources and manpower it inherited. Again, not to take anything away from their accomplishments...I already pointed out Pakistan has similar advantages and has failed miserably in employing them. But the point remains, some nations have some inherent advantages and it is not wrong for them to make use of them. And that is the only reason I brought up Israel, it owes it's massive military budget and border security to US investment, whether in the past or present...without it, the nation would survive...possibly in a slightly diminished capacity, militarily speaking...the same is true for UAE's economy.

OK, that's sounds fair although I am not impressed from the investments they made in their economy and that it can be maintained without the oil reserves.

 

[Pfpilot]

OK, that's sounds fair although I am not impressed from the investments they made in their economy and that it can be maintained without the oil reserves.

I don't disagree with your point so much as the extreme to which you expect the middle east to fall to. But I am just speculating, its a pretty novel concept to have an economy devoted to one resource. In the past such nations were usually just outposts of colonial powers. It is still unproven as to how things will play out once the oil runs out. So, on a personal level, I am reluctant to form an opinion. Western Europe lost its obscenely profitable largess they had at the expense of Africa and Asia and survived to remain prosperous and relevant in the modern world...maybe to a lesser degree, the same is possible with the middle east.

 

[Kaniska]

For a lay man...UAE is most probably surrounded my Muslim countries...Then who is its enemy for which so much of military modernization is being done? Does UAE face any threat from any one???

 

[nirreich]

I guess UAE main threat is Iran

 

[harpoon]

Dubai lost much of its steam during the financial crises when construction slumped and it had to be bailed out by oil rich Abu Dhabi.

 

[Tshering22]

For a lay man...UAE is most probably surrounded my Muslim countries...Then who is its enemy for which so much of military modernization is being done? Does UAE face any threat from any one???

Iran. As per the UAE government, Iran has occupied 3 of their main island territories.

 

[PERSIAN GOD KING]

Saudi arabia,uae,qatar,kuwait these countries only have oil nothing else...comeone man i am not trolling but what else do these people have?

In the history in middle east, only persian,Israelites,mesepotamians,egyptians contributed alot, egypt and iraq were not arabs they were forced to become arabs. what contributions have saudi arabia and these other arabs made?