(Bharath Gopalaswamy – Observer Research Foundation) Over the past five decades, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has quietly built one of the Middle East’s most distinctive aerospace ecosystems, transforming the sector into a strategic pillar of its national development. What began as a landscape shaped almost entirely by foreign procurement has evolved into a more confident and capable industrial ecosystem of its own. This journey has not beenabrupt. It has unfolded through careful planning, institutional discipline, and a national commitment to creating genuine capability. In a field where many nations remain dependent on external suppliers, the United Arab Emirates has charted an ambitious and self-reliant course.
The UAE’s Aerospace Evolution: From Defence Procurement to Production
