Dubai

GAL, a leading regional provider of integrated aircraft sustainment solutions for military and civilian customers within EDGE Group, today announced they have signed an agreement for Sanad, the global aerospace engineering and leasing solutions leader wholly-owned by Mubadala Investment Company PJSC (Mubadala), to provide Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engine maintenance services to support GAL’s Performance Based Logistics contract with UAE Air Force Air Defence (AFAD).

The agreement establishes a new foundation for the delivery of world-class MRO services for Rolls Royce Trent 700 engines that power the UAE’s Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) fleet. Through shared knowledge and a rich tradition in aviation excellence, GAL and Sanad will provide MRO support to service the engines, reducing current turnaround time and shop visit costs by eliminating the need to ship engines outside the UAE.

The announcement was made during the ongoing Dubai Air Show, which runs until 18 November at Dubai World Central.

Khalid Al Breiki, President of Mission Support at EDGE, and Managing Director of GAL, said, “We look forward to working with Sanad to facilitate ongoing growth across the UAE’s burgeoning aviation sector. This is a strategically important partnership between two national entities which has great significance for indigenous future technologies, supporting local talent and capabilities, and ultimately contributing to the UAE economy. As the region’s leading MRO provider, we continuously take pride in collaborations which may support the ongoing defence initiatives within AFAD and the UAE. Sanad’s contributions to GAL will be another key component in delivering cutting-edge maintenance capabilities within the region.”

For his part, Mansoor Janahi, Deputy Group CEO of Sanad, said, “As the latest milestone in Sanad’s long-standing MRO services journey, this agreement marks a major step in our strategic long-term collaboration with GAL and EDGE. Having established market-leading MRO expertise by servicing leading global OEMs and airlines, Sanad’s extensive engine MRO infrastructure and capabilities, including the unique capabilities that we have on Trent 700 for more than 10 years driven by local knowledge sharing and underpinned by a commitment to develop national talent – will serve as the foundation for this exciting new partnership.”

GAL provides aviation readiness solutions for military and civilian entities in the region and beyond. Working with the world’s largest original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) service providers, the company helps its clients achieve exceptional fleet readiness through world-class maintenance, repair and operations (MRO), supply chain, engineering, training and technical augmentation solutions. GAL is part of the Mission Support Cluster at EDGE, an advanced technology group that ranks among the top 25 military suppliers in the world.

Currently the only independent Trent 700 MRO facility worldwide, Sanad works in partnership with major original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) including Rolls-Royce, GE Aviation and International Aero Engines and provides a variety of engine maintenance services across multiple major aircraft platforms, including Airbus and Boeing.