WDS: Barzan plans growth with QEAF support

In recent years, the world has witnessed an unparalleled rapid expansion of the Qatar Emiri Air Force (QEAF) combat air element.

Abdullah Al-Khater, CEO, Barzan Holdings Image:Billypix

This went from a single fighter squadron with just 12 Mirage 2000s to an eight-squadron force with 36 Boeing F-15QAs, 36 Dassault Rafales and 24 Eurofighter Typhoons. Abdullah Al-Khater, the CEO of Barzan Holdings, aims to drive similar growth in Barzan.

Barzan is fully-owned by Qatar’s MoD and established in 2016 5o develop a local defence and security industry ecosystem with a number of global partners – all specialized in separate areas.  It aims to provide strong support for the QEAF in a number of areas – including military MRO services, where the first contract that Barzan received, in 2019, was for MRO support for the Pilatus PC-21.

“We are also aiming to support weaponised platforms in the future,”Al-Khater said, acknowledging that this is still some way off, since the QEAF’s new combat air platforms were all purchased with associated support and sustainment packages.

In the meantime, Barzan is supporting the Qatari Ministry of Defence’s research experiment and development office, working at the later stages of the research and development cycle, building prototypes and supporting testing.

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