EDGE and Tawazun from UAE will jointly develop defense industry.

EDGE, the advanced technology group for defence and beyond, today 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.

EDGE and TAWAZUn from UAE United Arab Emirates have signed a Memorandum of Understanding MoU to create and develop the local defense industry. (Picture source Army Recognition)

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.

Speaking on the announcement, Dr Fahad Al Yafei said: “EDGE is striving to build a secure and safer world, and talent is a critical component for us to achieve this objective. We are therefore delighted to collaborate with Tawazun on the landmark SEEDS Program. While allowing us to tap into the best local talent, it offers UAE nationals the unique opportunity to develop their skillsets, shape disruptive solutions, and pioneer the future, as they work to help build the nation. At EDGE, we take enormous pride in developing programmes and placements that both stimulate and reward the brightest minds.”

He added: “Nurturing the capabilities of local students and fresh graduates will also reinforce our commitment to developing a sustainable knowledge and innovation-based economy and demonstrate our promise to fulfil the objectives outlined in the broader Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030.”

Matar Ali Al Romaithi said: “At Tawazun, we are contributing to the development of a sustainable defence and security industry by driving economic value, technology and innovation, and ecosystem growth. The Tawazun Economic Program underscores the importance of attracting local and foreign capital to further enhance and develop the sector, while promoting technology and knowledge transfer.”

He added: “SEEDS is a key pillar of this program, enabling emerging local talent to gain international exposure and the opportunity to undertake job training in what is usually a protected industry. Working with our strategic partners, we are providing students and fresh graduates with hands-on experience and access to leaders in the defence and security industry. As we further develop our capabilities, we will seek to accelerate the pace of Emiratisation, in line with the nation’s vision of creating a competitive knowledge-based economy.”

SEEDS aims to elevate national capabilities through offering opportunities for international exposure with leading global companies operating in the defence and security industry. With nine areas of priority, which include systems engineering and architectures, modelling and simulation, component and module technologies, RF sensor technologies and applications, among others – the programme presents fresh graduates with the option of pursuing an internship for a minimum of six months, and engineering students a two-to-six-month placement, dependent upon their university requirements.