Qatar A Key Market For Boeing's Defence Business

(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Joel Johnson | The Peninsula

Doha: The Gulf state is an important market for Boeing's defence business, equipping its air forces with advanced fighter jets, helicopters, airlifters, and autonomous systems, noted an official.

Since 2008, the aerospace company has supported the Qatar Emiri Air Force with several iconic platforms including F-15 Qatar Advanced fighters, C-17 Globemaster transport airplanes, and AH-64 Apache helicopters.

“These aircraft have been instrumental in safeguarding Qatar's borders and monitoring large-scale events in Qatar," the Managing Director of Boeing company in Qatar, Wael Zaoud told The Peninsula in an interview.

The newly appointed executive remarked:“I am especially proud of our partnership with Qatar Armed Forces around the C-17 airlifter as Qatar has deployed these aircraft for humanitarian missions around the globe.”

With Boeing's global expertise in sustainability, Wael stressed that the organisation is“open to partnerships” to drive sustainable aviation fuels in the country.

He said the entity is“dedicated to advancing sustainability, innovation, and developing local talent through strategic partnerships with customers, universities, research institutions, and non-profits in Qatar.”

Boeing's collaboration with Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI) has led to groundbreaking research in machine learning and computer vision for autonomy in the past 12 years, the official stressed.

However, since 2013, Boeing and QCRI have co-hosted an annual international symposium on machine learning and data analytics in Doha.

“Machine Learning and Data Analytics Symposium (MLDAS) is a prominent event bringing the best of minds from the Middle East, the US, and across the globe together to discuss the future of data analytics,” Wael said.

He highlighted that the leading aviation firm continues to support various initiatives at Qatar University's College of Engineering, including research on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and a robotics competition.

“We highly value our partnership with INJAZ Qatar. Since 2009, Boeing has invested $1.5m in STEM education and entrepreneurship programs, benefiting over 4,000 young people in Qatar,” he said.

Having an extensive 13 years at Boeing's Doha office, Wael lauded“The country's progress has been truly transformative, driven by the unwavering commitment of its leadership to the ambitious goals laid out in the Qatar National Vision 2030 and the Third National Development Strategy.”

The official also underscored that Qatar's future holds“immense promise”, and Boeing is determined to contribute to its success.

He said,“The legacy of the 2022 FIFA World Cup has become an important part of Qatar's heritage, and we are proud to have supported this significant event through our partnership with Qatar Airways and the Ministry of Defense of Qatar.”

The Managing Director mentioned that the country's focus on inbound tourism, innovation, and technology opens new growth opportunities for the company.

Wael said,“I look forward to expanding our market presence and deepening relationships with the government, customers, and other partners in Qatar.”

One of the key priorities spearheading the newly established Boeing Aerospace Doha LLC is the dedicated local talent hunt, supporting startups, and advancing R&D, innovation, and sustainability.

Wael explained“Our partnership with Invest Qatar and the launch of a new entity will enable us to build on existing collaborations and contribute to the growth of a knowledge-based economy, aligned with Qatar's Third National Development Strategy and Qatar National Vision 2030.”

Boeing Global has been grappling with a number of plights this year.

Earlier, top executives of the company executed a strategy to enhance the quality and safety vowing to address systemic issues to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Wael said“Our focus is on taking comprehensive actions to strengthen safety and quality at Boeing. We will focus on every next airplane and ensuring we meet all the standards that we have, all the standards that our regulator has and that our customers demand.”

Affirming Boeing's ongoing developments to meet the highest safety regulations, Wael elaborated“As we go about that work, we remain confident in our recovery.

Since day one, we've been focused squarely on integrating safety and quality into everything that we do and getting back to our legacy of having engineering excellence at the center of our business.”

He continued,“That focus and commitment are unwavering, and we will continue to strengthen our processes and our execution of our comprehensive Safety and Quality plan every step of the way.”

“We will support our customers, work transparently with our regulator, and ensure we complete all actions to earn the confidence of our stakeholders,” Wael added.

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