ABU DHABI \u2014 At this year’s International Defence Exhibition, United Arab Emirates-based defense companies received the lion’s share of the contract awards announced by the country’s armed forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of a total of 33 contracts worth $4.99 billion, Emirates-based companies received 21 worth $3.81 billion, French companies received deals worth $1.0325<\/span> billion, and US companies came in third with $676 million, including a $618 million order for two Boeing C-17s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many of the contracts went to joint-venture partnerships between UAE and foreign firms. This is no coincidence, said IDEX spokesman Maj. Gen. Obeid al-Kitbi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “We have a clear strategy to establish strong relationships with specified companies in this field and set up joint ventures with companies to achieve our goals,” al-Kitbi said. “Based on the vision set out by the Deputy Supreme Commander Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed, our industry is getting stronger and we are investing in the future to have a strong industrial base in the UAE.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Abu Dhabi’s Nimr Automotive this year received a $330 million order for five variants of their AJBAN four-wheel-drive4×4<\/span> vehicles plus upgrades to 500 Nimr vehicles currently in service with UAE armed forces across the country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Based on South African designs, the Nimr vehicles are an example of a successful joint venture. In 2013, UAE ordered 1,800 vehicles from Nimr, which also notched sales that year to Libya and Lebanon, while deals for and <\/span>manufacturing were made in Algeria and Jordan. [I DON’T UNDERSTAND THIS SENTENCE. WERE THE TRUCKS SOLD TO LIBYA AND LEBANON MADE IN ALGERIA AND JORDAN? OR SOMETHING ELSE?]<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Another example is Tawazun Dynamics, which makes the Al Tariq air-to-ground precision guided weapon. A partnership between the UAE heavy hitter <\/span>Tawazun and South Africa’s Denel , the company <\/span>this year received a $416 million contract to supply precision-guided ammunition. to the armed forces. <\/span>As well, <\/span>UAE firms Milipol International and the International Golden Group both have partnerships with international companies to provide munitions and howitzers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n