Large black drones bearing the orange logo of the Emirati arms consortium EDGE were displayed at the Monday-Wednesday Unmanned Defense Systems (UMEX) exhibition in Abu Dhabi, alongside other "smart" weapons.
The exhibit comes in the wake of attacks claimed by Yemeni Houthi rebels: On January 17, a drone and missile attack on oil facilities in Abu Dhabi left three people dead.
She was followed by two others who were foiled.
The Emirates are part of a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia, which since 2015 has supported the power in Yemen at war against the Houthis.
"Autonomous systems are becoming more and more prevalent," Miles Chambers, director of international business development at EDGE, told AFP.
"We are investing massively to develop autonomous defense systems (...) in electronic warfare and in smart munitions. These are our three pillars".
360 degrees
Based in Abu Dhabi, EDGE brings together 25 Emirati companies.
In 2020, arms sales from the consortium formed three years ago reached $4.8 billion, almost all to the government of the Emirates.
Training robots from the International Golden Group displayed at the UMEX exhibition at the National Exhibition Center in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, February 22, 2022 - AFP
In the same year, the group was ranked 23rd among the top 100 producers of arms and military services in the world, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
Its most lucrative contracts include the maintenance of military aircraft, worth almost $4 billion, as well as the supply of guided munitions for $880 million.
On Tuesday, EDGE unveiled a vehicle-mounted remote-controlled assault rifle that can rotate 360 degrees and features thermal imaging and a laser rangefinder accurate to 50 centimeters for targets over two kilometers away.
The use of drones and other guided weapons is increasingly common.
In 2021, the United States and Israel accused Iran of an attack on a ship off the coast of Oman.
Two crew members were killed.
Visitors to the UMEX exhibition featuring drones, robotics and unmanned systems at the National Exhibition Center in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, February 22, 2022 - AFP
In the same year, Iran accused Israel of murdering one of its nuclear scientists using a remote-controlled machine gun mounted on a pickup truck.
And in November 2021, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kazimi survived an explosive-laden drone attack on his home in Baghdad.
"Competitive"
But drones are mostly used by the Houthis.
According to figures from the military coalition released in December, they have launched more than 850 drones and fired 400 ballistic missiles against neighboring Saudi Arabia since 2015 killing 59 civilians.
The coalition carried out 401 airstrikes in Yemen in January alone, according to the Yemen Data Project, an independent monitor which also reported around 9,000 Yemeni civilians killed in strikes since 2015.
According to Ahmed Al Mazrouei, owner of an Emirati company mainly developing four-wheel drive vehicles and personnel carriers, "the challenges are important because they push us to develop."
"The goal is to have more systems and more technology" in the next ten years and to be "competitive on a global scale."
In 2021, EDGE signed several agreements with foreign partners, including the Americans Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, and the Brazilian Embraer, according to Khalid Al-Breiki, director of one of the group's five clusters.
An armed robotic vehicle from the Emirati defense group EDGE presented at the UMEX exhibition at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center in the United Arab Emirates, February 22, 2022 - AFP
On Monday, the UAE Defense Ministry signed three deals with domestic and international companies worth a total of over $178.2 million, including a sale of drone systems to the Emirates-based International Golden Group.
The normalization of relations between the Emirates and Israel in 2020 has also opened up new opportunities.
It allowed the Jewish state to participate for the first time in UMEX.
© 2022 AFP