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2017-03-07

CEO of Tawazun in an exclusive interview with the Nation Shield

‘IDEX has surpassed the usual success and attained global quality standards’: H.E. Saif Mohamed Al Hajeri, Chief Executive Officer of Tawazun

Interview by: Staff Lieutenant Colonel Yousef Juma Al Haddad

H.E. Saif Mohamed Al Hajeri, Chief Executive Officer of Tawazun emphasized that the military plays a pivotal role in providing support for national companies, and the development of their military industries. The Armed Forces plays the role of a national school where the managements of these companies learn and gain experience. The Armed Forces is keen to foster national products in keeping with international quality standards. Therefore, we find that it is behind the development of our national military products.

In an exclusive interview with Nation Shield, he said: “The unlimited support by the prudent leadership for national industries, particularly the military industries, and its earnest desire to keep pace with global changes, is the most prominent reason behind the successive achievements in this area, and the sustainable development of our military products.” Excerpts from the interview:

Following the completion of IDEX and NAVDEX 2017, the evaluations of observers, professionals and media specialists have emphasized the fact that this edition has been the most successful one since 1993; to what extent do you agree with this assessment, and why?
No doubt, I agree to these views, since IDEX has surpassed the usual success, and reached global quality. It succeeded in attracting and showcasing all developments in military industries in every new edition. It has become a platform that attracts many countries of the world, and major international companies in that industry, as well as military leaders, including ministers, experts and specialists. This was apparent in the last edition of the exhibition, which ended a few days ago.

I believe that the organizers of IDEX have exerted great efforts in the search for the most important modern military industries, to be presented during the exhibition. Moreover, they have always been keen to hear the views and opinions of the participating companies, as listening to IDEX visitors is highly important, because it helps to enhance the exhibition, its products and exhibitors in the coming years.

IDEX organizers possess significant experience and systematic visions in organizing exhibitions and the work of exhibiting companies, as well as experience in the military sphere and good relations with the Armed Forces. I believe that the role of HE Major General Faris Al Mazrouei as Chairman of the Higher Committee for the exhibition and Maj. Gen. Pilot Ishaq Al Baloushi as Deputy Chairman of the committee, has been a significant addition in the journey of IDEX, especially because they are in direct contact with the decision-making circle. This has helped to achieve great flexibility in the access to the various facilities required as soon as possible with optimal quality.

How do you see the difference between IDEX 2015 and IDEX 2017? Do you think that IDEX has achieved its goals this year?

Certainly IDEX has achieved its objectives in this edition. As I mentioned earlier, it is witnessing developments and frequent successes. I think they are an interrelated series of sustainable development of the exhibition. If IDEX 2015 was outstanding, its edition of 2017 was the best, and we’ll see that it will be, God willing, more successful in 2019.

Everyone is looking for excellence and exclusivity, especially that all factors of success are available in ADNEC, where you find the utmost attention from the leaderships, outstanding services, car parking, exceptional location, number of standard hotels near the exhibition, the level of nutrition, air-conditioning, lighting, ventilation, modern technology, fast registration, easy access to the exhibition, as well as the level of hygiene in the bathrooms, not to mention the security dimension. All these and other things met to provide success for the exhibition this year.

What are your expectations about the presence of our national companies in IDEX 2019?

I think that the future of the UAE’s military industries will witness sustainable prosperity and development that is in keeping with the global changes and developments in this area. Thanks to God we are reaping the fruits of the efforts exerted during the past few years.

The UAE is progressing with steady and fast strides, so I expect that at each exhibition we will have new dazzling products and realistic and positive surprises, especially because exhibitions have become a national window for our national companies. Some observers and foreign companies have been surprised by the size and standards of the UAE products when compared with the few years of the emergence of national companies.

Let’s highlight our Armed Forces’ deals at IDEX 2017, as they amounted to more than AED 19 billion, and our national companies enjoyed the lion’s share of its gross value. What is your comment on those deals?

In fact, I see that behind those big deals lies the wise vision of our prudent leadership, which supports and encourages military industries. The idea that we want to focus on is that the national military industries, will occupy forefront in the future. Besides, these contracts and deals encourage our national companies to develop and introduce their products as best as befits the name of the UAE, and keeps pace with the development in international companies.

A good example it the 8x8 vehicle produced by the state in collaboration with a Turkish company, after a trade-off between about 12 global companies.

What is your comment on the national military products? And to what extent have they achieved competitiveness with international companies?

In Tawazun, we focus on building qualified national human resources before thinking of military industries. That is because the building of a qualified and capable citizen who owns science, knowledge and experience represents the real value that we can count on in the future to strengthen our national industries. Through IDEX, we boast the level of our qualified national cadres who are armed with knowledge and expertise on the various platforms of national participating and exhibiting companies.

In addition, all our national products in the exhibition have been tested professionally by the UAE Armed Forces, which does not show courtesy for any products or companies. They cannot use any weapon whatsoever without testing it and making sure about its efficiency and readiness, even though it was purely UAE made, because the safety of human beings is more important than any other considerations whatsoever.

A proof of this is the Tiger vehicle, which was displayed at the exhibition. It was tried for its readiness in the battlefield, before it was showcased. This enhances the quality of the UAE products in the field of military industries globally.

How do you see the relationship between the Armed Forces and national companies operating in military industries, and how it can be developed in the future in a way that contributes to the revival and quality of military manufacture as comparable to the global industries?
 There is a strategic partnership between the Armed Forces and national companies, where many top-notch engineers are recruited and seconded from the Armed Forces in our national companies, for they gave a lot to improve the national military industries, not to mention the great support offered by our Armed Forces, particularly with regard to tests of various military industries.

The Military does not accept under any reason modest products. Rather, it focuses its efforts on high-quality product manufacturing, in line with optimal international standards.

It is behind the great development of military industries, and its strict specifications contributed significantly to the achievement of excellence and quality in national military products.

We can only extend our thanks to this military institution, which is great in content and goals, because without it there would have been no such highly developed and state-of-the-art military industries.

How would you describe the great support by our wise leadership, especially HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, for our various national companies operating in military industries, and to what extent has it contributed positively to the quality of the national military industries?

The support we receive from our wise leadership, especially from HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, is unlimited. We are receiving a large and generous support through his vision and experience in the field of military defense industries, as well as his exceptional knowledge of military products and understanding of global products and various fields.

Everyone noticed his keenness to visit IDEX every day, since the period in which he took his post as Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces. It is impressive that participating foreign companies develop their products in the light of his suggestions or inquiries during his visits to their pavilions.

HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed has a positive role in encouraging and supporting many of the national engineers working in various national companies, especially during his visits to them at exhibitions.

Tawazun embraces a variety of multidisciplinary companies. How do you unify visions and goals and coordinate between them without any conflicts or obstacles?

I think everyone has a national task to boost the country and strengthen its position among the nations of the world, not only in the field of military industries, but also in all areas.

Hence comes the importance of the unification of visions and goals. A national company, which includes a range of companies under its umbrella, operates as a systematic interconnected group, characterized by the integration of roles and functions, each according to his specialty. Thus ultimately we get national military products worthy of the name of the UAE and its place among the nations of the world.

Will you tell us about your efforts to attract qualified national workforce to work in the field of military industrialization.

We focus on continually attracting and qualifying the national workforce, and we always learn from our mistakes and past experiences. It is not only important to develop national workforce, but more important is the continuity in upgrading their professionalism and innovation and employing their renewable energies. This will enhance their status among major international companies, which will then be keen to attract national cadres.

More importantly, we should be able to count on the qualified national cadres in various engineering and technical fields across our businesses, and to keep enhancing their professional levels. We aspire to have in the near future experienced and well-trained national directors of national companies.

The UAE always focuses on attracting talented minds in various fields and disciplines, and creates for them the right environment, which makes them more productive. This is constantly emphasized by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.

What are the most important efforts in research and development?

Research and development involve very great importance in our national companies. We always focus on cooperation with a number of universities and educational institutions in the country, and give our national companies absolute freedom to conduct research and studies for the development of various products according to the needs of the local and global market for military industries of all kinds.

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