Qatar's defence firm Barzan to sign first deal with Emirati company
ABU DHABI, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Barzan Holdings, the strategic investment arm of Qatar's Ministry of Defense, is set to sign various deals this week, including a preliminary agreement with defence conglomerate EDGE, Barzan's group CEO said on Monday, in its first deal ever with an Emirati company, years after the two countries restored ties.
"We're going to sign various agreements here" with different firms including EDGE, Barzan Group CEO Abdullah Al Khater told Reuters, speaking on the sidelines of the International Defence Exhibition (IDEX) in Abu Dhabi.
"We are planning to sign an MoU with them (EDGE) ... tomorrow during the exhibition," he added, saying the agreement would cover various areas of cooperation such as co-development programs and future opportunities of production.
He gave no further details.
Barzan Holdings was established in 2016. Its products include small- and medium-caliber ammunition, portable weapons and systems to counter unmanned aerial systems or drones.
Last year, it signed an MoU with Saudi Arabian defence firm SAMI in what it dubbed the first such deal between defense companies in the Gulf.
The defense cooperation came years after Saudi Arabia and Qatar restored ties.
In 2017, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt severed all ties with Qatar over accusations that it supported terrorism and had forged closer ties with Iran. Doha denied the charges and the rift was ended in a series of conciliatory moves in 2021.
Asked about progress in the preliminary deal with SAMI, Al Khater said that there were ongoing discussions but specific deals had not yet been finalised.
"In the past, the GCC countries relied heavily on imports when it comes to military products and services. So now, I would say the mindset has changed," he said, citing opportunities to collaborate to partly localize production of military equipment and develop the local workforce.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
17 minutes ago
- Reuters
US State Dept resumes processing Harvard student visas after judge's ruling
WASHINGTON, June 9 (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department directed all U.S. missions abroad and consular sections to resume processing Harvard University student and exchange visitor visas after a federal judge in Boston last week temporarily blocked President Donald Trump's ban on foreign students at the Ivy-League institution. In a diplomatic cable sent on June 6 and signed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the State Department cited parts of the judge's decision, saying the fresh directive was "in accordance with" the temporary restraining order. Under that order granted to Harvard late on Thursday, U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs blocked Trump's proclamation from taking effect pending further litigation of the matter. Trump had cited national security concerns as justification for barring international students from entering the United States to pursue studies at Harvard. The Trump administration has launched a multi-pronged attack on the nation's oldest and wealthiest university, freezing billions of dollars in grants and other funding and proposing to end its tax-exempt status, prompting a series of legal challenges. Harvard argues the administration is retaliating against it for refusing to accede to demands to control the school's governance, curriculum and the ideology of its faculty and students. The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In the cable, the State Department added that all other guidance regarding student visas remained in effect, including enhanced social media vetting and the requirement to review the applicants' online presence.
Reuters
18 minutes ago
- Reuters
Pause in ECB rate cuts could last a while, policymaker Holzmann tells Austrian TV
VIENNA, June 9 (Reuters) - The current pause in European Central Bank rate cuts could be long-lasting unless economic data worsens, in which case there could be further rate cuts this year, policymaker Robert Holzmann told Austrian broadcaster ORF on Monday. "It could be that the pause lasts a while," he said when asked if there would be further rate cuts this year, adding each rate decision was based on the data available at that time. "If economic developments worsen, there could be further interest-rate cuts."
Reuters
33 minutes ago
- Reuters
Pentagon to deploy 700 Marines to Los Angeles, official says
WASHINGTON, June 9 (Reuters) - The U.S. military is set to temporarily deploy about 700 Marines to Los Angeles while additional National Guard troops arrive in the city, a U.S. official told Reuters on Monday. About 300 California National Guard troops were deployed to the streets of Los Angeles on Sunday to help quell a third day of protests over President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement, a step Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom called unlawful. The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said a battalion would be sent, but for now, the Insurrection Act is not expected to be invoked. The number of National Guard troops is expected to rise to 2,000 by Wednesday and until then, the Marines are expected to provide support. It is unclear what exactly they will be doing. The official added the situation was fluid and could change. While the U.S. military cannot perform law enforcement activities inside the United States without invoking the Insurrection Act, the Pentagon often is called to respond to national crises, from the border mission to disaster relief to health emergencies. For example, during the pandemic, the U.S. military set up temporary hospitals.
