Military and Strategic Journal
Issued by the Directorate of Morale Guidance at the General Command of the Armed Forces
United Arab Emirates
Founded in August 1971

2023-02-01

Raytheon Strengthening Presence in UAE

Raytheon has been in the UAE since 1983 and the partnership is strengthening by the day. In an exclusive interview with Nation Shield, Fahad Mohammed Al Mheiri, Managing Director, Raytheon Emirates, spoke about the company’s competence and also its intent to localise capability in the country. Excerpts from the interview:
 
By: Sakha Pramod 
 
Congratulations on taking over as Managing Director of Raytheon Emirates. What are your immediate priorities and which sectors are on top of your mind?
I have been with Raytheon Emirates now for over a year, as I was the deputy managing director since December 2021. Prior to that, I was with the UAE Space Agency and EDIC, which later became EDGE, where I was lucky to have an opportunity for interaction with foreign defence companies. 
 
I am the first UAE National to hold such a position in a major defence company in the region, which is a significant step forward for Raytheon Emirates. It makes me proud because I am serving not only Raytheon but also the country, as the UAE and Raytheon have enjoyed a 40-year partnership. 
 
You asked what sectors I will be focusing on; right now, we see a great opportunity to strengthen the local supply chain and produce locally made products here in the UAE - so for me that is my current priority. 
 
After holding several major responsibilities at UAESA, EDIC etc., and having been a part of several boards, how do you foresee the challenges lined up for you in your latest role at Raytheon Emirates?
As a UAE national having worked in international companies, public sectors in the UAE, semi-government and federal sectors, I understand the initiatives that are coming through and the process of how it works in the country. Things happen very quickly in the UAE. I hope to strengthen the bridge  between our company and the dynamic culture of the UAE’s defence ecosystem to have a better outcome - widening the scope to benefit both the UAE and Raytheon Emirates. The idea is to bring more opportunities to the country. 
 
How has Raytheon Emirates’ strategic partnership with EDGE Group helped?
We have had many MOUs signed in the past with EDGE Group. They have 25 companies today, and – during my time at EDIC - I was responsible for a lot of those companies. That was a huge advantage to understand the capabilities of the local defence industry. Going forward, Raytheon Emirates will try to identify partners to pick up capabilities that will allow us to make up to 60 per cent of parts here in the UAE and also have products that come as ‘Made in the UAE’ under the Raytheon Emirates umbrella.
 
How does Raytheon Emirates help in strengthening indigenous defence capabilities?
If we want to produce a product here that is going to be picked up for, say the U.S. army or military in Europe, they do have strict standards and requirements. It is possible to achieve that, but it adds additional costs and that is the challenge. In order to reach that level of standards, we need to go through a long qualification process. Raytheon has gone through that and can help suppliers attain those qualifications and meet those standards. The government is very supportive here to be able to set up factories, and we have great universities. The UAE is a very cosmopolitan place which attracts talent from different sectors across the globe; there is lots of potential here.  
 
What steps are being taken to enhance women’s representation in leadership positions in your company? 
In the UAE, as everyone knows, the leadership has done an amazing job on this front. Look at the ministers and leadership throughout government. His Highnesses have put lots of trust in women and it is all too evident. Within Raytheon Emirates too, a similar approach is followed. We are very proud to have signed up to the SDG 5 Pledge to Accelerate Gender Balance in the UAE Private Sector, and our local chapter of the Women Inspiring Success and Empowerment employee resource group is incredibly dynamic and active – offering our female employees an opportunity for networking and career growth.  
 
Are you convinced students make good use of your company’s internship programmes?
Our interns are doing well and lots of the ones we’ve had at Raytheon Emirates want to focus on financial aspect of things. We had permanent opportunities to offer those interns, but we have not had the opportunity to hire people in the engineering field, because we have not started any manufacturing capability in the UAE. Hopefully, soon that will change, and will allow us to hire students into more hands-on engineering roles too. There’s more we’d like to do, and we’ll be able to do so in the future.
 
In his concluding remarks, Al Mheiri stated: “I want to thank Nation Shield for being supportive of Raytheon throughout. Nation Shield has proved to be the perfect avenue to put in a lot of this interesting information about our solutions and our company.”.
 
 

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