Tawazun creates African partnership for UAE's precision-weapon manufacture

The manufacturing deal has come as a direct result of a parnership between Abu Dhabi’s Tawazun Holding, the strategic investment firm focused on defence and specialised manufacturing, and the dynamics division of Denel, South Africa’s largest defence manufacturer.

At the African Aerospace and Defence (AAD) show in Pretoria today The companies said they were creating a joint venture to build the Middle East region’s first facility for the development, manufacture, assembly and integration of precision-guided systems for conventional air munitions.

The joint venture will be known as ‘Tawazun Dynamics’ and be owned 51% by Tawazun Holding and 49% by Denel. Tawazun Dynamics will supply precision-guided weapon systems as well as product system management services to the UAE force and to other international clients.

Speaking today,  Tawazan’s chief executuve, Saif Mohamed Al Hajeri, said: “The creation of Tawazun Dynamics marks the next chapter of Tawazun’s continued focus on the development and diversification of the UAE’s industrial base. To achieve this, it is important for us to work with recognised technology and product leaders in partnerships that capitalise on our relative strengths.

“We believe that Denel, with its history of successful products that focus on innovation and operational excellence, corporate governance and cultural values, matches our own ambitions and that our partnership will be a long-term and mutually-beneficial one.”

Riaz Salojee, Denel’s CEO added: “With its investments in industrial knowledge-building, and its location at the crossroads of East and West, the UAE is poised to become a leader in defense engineering and manufacturing. We believe that, in Tawazun, Denel has found the right partner through which to further expand our strategic footprint, internationally exploit and expand our products and systems and cement our commitment to the Middle East region.”

The new entity will utilise and expand the engineering expertise in Denel in South Africa and also see the creation of technical jobs in Abu Dhabi. Denel has already overseen the training of the first set of UAE nationals who will work in Tawazun Dynamics.

The Tawazun Dynamics facility will be established in the Tawazun Industrial Park, which is Tawazun Holding’s emerging knowledge hub for defense and strategic manufacturing in Al Ajban, just outside of Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the UAE. The plant will utilize Denel’s world-class technology, systems and processes to transform conventional air munitions into precision-guided weapon systems. Details of the specific product systems will be announced at the start of 2013.

PICTURED: ( Front, H.E. Saif Mohamed Al Hajeri, CEO of Tawazun Holding
with Denel's Zoli Kunene. Back, Lt. General S.Z. Shoke, chief of the South African National Defence force and Lt. General Hamad Mohammed Thani Al Rumaithi, chief of staff of the UAE Armed Forces