Paris, France/Abu Dhabi, UAE: At the 2025 edition of the Paris Airshow, EDGE, one of the world’s leading advanced technology and defence groups, and Thales, a global leader in high technology solutions for defence and security, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation in the production and maintenance of Thales’ advanced electro-optic systems. This MoU supports the shared commitment of both parties to strengthen the UAE’s sovereign defence capabilities and localise key technologies through sustainable in-country industrial solutions.
Under the MoU, EDGE’s Electro-Optic Centre of Excellence (EOCE) and Thales will explore the creation of dedicated capabilities in the UAE for a range of Thales’ cutting-edge optronic systems currently in operational service with the UAE Armed Forces. The areas of intended cooperation include:
- Hand-Held Thermal Imagers (HHTI): Maintenance of Thales’ field-proven SOPHIE family of thermal imagers, supporting ground forces with superior detection and identification performance.
- Weapon Sights: Local support for Thales’ XTRAIM weapon sights, which combine red dot sighting and thermal imaging in a compact, high-performance solution.
- Electro-Optic Vehicular Cameras: Maintenance and support for Thales’ advanced vehicular optronics systems, designed to enhance crew awareness and targeting capabilities across a range of armoured platforms.
The MoU was signed by Dr. Chaouki Kasmi, President of Technology and Innovation at EDGE, Alexis Morel, Vice-President of the Optronics and Missile Electronics activities at Thales, and Abdelhafid Mordi, Chief Executive Officer of Thales in the UAE. The signing ceremony was witnessed by Hamad Al Marar, Managing Director and CEO of EDGE, Patrice Caine, Chairman and CEO of Thales Group, and Pascale Sourisse, President of Thales International.
By leveraging their respective areas of expertise, EDGE’s EOCE and Thales aim to increase operational readiness and lifecycle support for advanced defence technologies deployed across the UAE Armed Forces.
Dr. Chaouki Kasmi, President of Technology and Innovation at EDGE, said: “This MoU marks another important step in our journey to strengthen local defence capabilities through industrial partnerships. Together with Thales, EDGE is taking a significant step towards enabling unique and centralised maintenance capabilities for mission-critical electro-optical systems.”
Abdelhafid Mordi, CEO of Thales in the UAE, said: “We are proud to deepen our collaboration with EDGE and contribute to the UAE’s strategic vision for localised defence readiness. This partnership will ensure sustained performance of our advanced optronics systems across multiple operational domains, and reinforce our shared commitment to bolster the local industrial ecosystem and reinforce the UAE’s leadership in the global defence sector”.
