EDGE Group

The EDGE Group was established on 5 November 2019 by H.E Faisal Al Bannai, and consists of more than 25 entities from the Emirates Defence Industries Company (EDIC), Emirates Advanced Investments Group (EAIG), Tawazun Holding, and other independent organisations, to address the UAE's antiquated defence industry.[3] The Group employs a multi-cultural workforce of approximately 12,000 employees of over 80 nationalities, working across its five core clusters: Platforms & Systems, Missiles & Weapons, Space & Cyber Technologies, Trading & Mission Support, and Homeland Security.[6][7][8]

EDGE was the official Advanced Technology Partner at the Dubai Airshow 2019.[9] The Group's 11 participating entities showcased their wide range of capabilities, which included unmanned aerial vehicles, and long-range munitions including the UAE-made ADASI RW-24. AMMROC also announced its plan to open a maintenance facility at to Al Ain International Airport.[10]

EDGE's entity HALCON signed a US$1 billion contract in November 2019 to deliver its Desert Sting lightweight precision guided missiles to UAE Armed Forces.[11]

Later, GAL, which was part of the Mission Support Cluster within EDGE Group, signed a contract with Kenya’s Ministry of Defence to provide MRO services to the Kenyan Air Force. GAL also signed an AED 3.5 billion support contract with the UAE’s Joint Aviation Command.[12][11]

EDGE joined Tawdheef, the UAE’s leading event for Emiratisation,[13] and the second edition of the biennial Mohamed bin Zayed International Robotics Challenge[14] 2020 (MBZIRC 2020), as the official Advanced Technology Partner in January 2020.[15]

EDGE’s ADASI also launched its made-in-the-UAE VTOL drone at the UMEX exhibition in February 2020.[16]

In December 2020, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) reported that EDGE had ranked 22nd in the world's largest arms companies list.[17] According to Pieter Wezeman, Senior Researcher with the SIPRI Arms and Military Expenditure Programme: "EDGE is a good illustration of how the combination of high national demand for military products and services with a desire to become less dependent on foreign suppliers is driving the growth of arms companies in the Middle East." The sales of arms and military services by the largest 25 companies totalled US$361 billion in 2019, with EDGE accounting for 1.3 percent of this total.[18] According to DefenseNews.com’s 2021 July report, EDGE Group is the 24th largest defence contractor in the world.[19]

On 31, 2022, Mansour AlMulla was appointed Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of EDGE Group, while H.E Faisal Al Bannai assumed the role of Chairman of the Board.[20]

In the same year, DIGITAL14, a developer of multi-sector innovative and ultra-secure communication solutions, merged into the EDGE and was rebranded as KATIM.[21]

In early 2023, EDGE disclosed that orders for its products and solutions had exceeded US$5 billion for 2022, a third of which was made up of international exports—a 500%[22] year-on-year increase. The group’s expanding global footprint now covers over 30 countries across North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.

The company acquired a majority shareholding in Estonian robotic developer Milrem Robotics on 15 February 2023.[23] Milrem, Europe’s leading developer of robotics and autonomous systems, has been developing unmanned vehicles for both military and civilian use, since 2013.

At the IDEX defence exhibition held in Abu Dhabi in February 2023, EDGE announced over AED18.6 billion worth of contracts,[24][25][26] AED4 billion of which was in exports, including a landmark EUR1 billion export deal with the Angolan Navy to build a fleet of best-in-class 71 metre corvette vessels.[27][28] The group also launched 14 new products including 11 autonomous solutions.[27] Contracts with the UAE Armed Forces at IDEX 2023 totalling AED9 billion were announced for EDGE’s THUNDER and DESERT STING 25 Precision-Guided Munitions;  SHADOW 25 and SHADOW 50; and HUNTER Loitering Munitions;[26] and a contract valued at AED4 billion to provide tactical communications and data-link solutions.[26]

In March 2023, EDGE acquired UAE based Trust International Group, further fortifying its technology and defence portfolio.[29]

In April 2023, EDGE announced the opening of a regional office in the Brazilian capital, Brasilia.[30] In the same month, EDGE Group and the Brazilian Navy signed a cooperation agreement to develop anti-ship and supersonic missiles.[31][32] This was followed by the signing of a strategic partnership agreement which will see EDGE become a strategic partner of the Brazilian Navy by co-investing in the development, as well as providing advanced solutions, such as anti-jamming technology, which is developed by EDGE in the UAE. The Brazilian Navy has committed its fleet to support a full testing programme of the new missiles.

In July 2023, EDGE announced the acquisition of Abu Dhabi-based cybersecurity firm, OryxLabs[33] and the acquisition of a 100% stake in Etimad Holding,[34] a technology solutions, security, and services group, also based in the UAE capital.

The groups subsidiaries are classified under four categories.[35]

• Platforms and Systems
  • ADASI develops autonomous systems such as unmanned aircraft and drones
  • ADSB (Abu Dhabi Ship Building) builds and repairs naval and commercial vessels in their shipyards and work with the UAE navy
  • AL JASOOR supplies an amphibious armoured vehicle
  • AL TAIF provides maintenance and repair services for military ground vehicles
  • NIMR manufactures armoured vehicles
  • EPI is a precision engineering manufacturer for components used in small arms, aerospace, oil and gas industries
• Missiles and Weapons
  • AL TARIQ converts aerial weapons into long range guided weapons
  • APT manufactures low velocity projectiles and smoke grenades
  • CARACAL manufactures small arms
  • HALCON manufactures guides missile systems
  • LAHAB manufactures munitions and provides training and testing
• Electronic Warfare and Cyber Technologies
  • BEACON RED provides security training
  • SIGN4L develops electronic and cyber warfare training
• Trading and Mission Support
  • HORIZON provides helicopter training
  • JAHEZIYA provides emergency response training and certification
  • REMAYA provides shooting ranges and related training and management services.

• Missiles & Weapons
• Electronic Warfare
• Air Platforms
• Land Systems
• Naval Systems
• Cyber Defence & Secure Communications
• Sub-Systems
• Training & Services
• Precision Engineering
• MRO
• Homeland Security[36][5]

On 24 November 2022, EDGE Group was awarded the prestigious ROI-EFESO INDUSTRIE 4.0 Award 2022 in Munich, Germany, in the ‘SMART WORKFORCE’ category for Best Implementation of Industry 4.0 solutions in 2022. ROI-EFESO Management Consulting AG awards the coveted accolade annually to companies that implement forward-looking and successful pioneering solutions in the areas of Smart Factory, Smart Production, Smart Products & Services, and Smart Supply Chain Management.[37]

• EDGE, one of four global winners, was awarded for its agile, and systematic implementation of multiple Industry 4.0 solutions in 2022.
• EDGE’s Industry 4.0 ambitious roadmap, fast implementation of 30 projects in 18 months, and its exhaustive upskilling of workforce at the EDGE Learning & Innovation Factory, demonstrate EDGE Industry 4.0 ambitions to become a global lighthouse of modern digitisation.