Today's Edition
MAYS IBRAHIM (ABU DHABI)
Artificial intelligence is radically changing the way defence technologies are designed and developed, with the UAE emerging as a leading force in this shift, according to industry stakeholders.
In an interview with Aletihad on the sidelines of IDEX 2025, Dr. Chaouki Kasmi, President of Technology & Innovation Cluster at EDGE noted that the UAE has clearly outlined its strategic vision for AI, positioning itself as a technology developer and provider, rather than merely a consumer.
"AI has become, I would say, a central part of our technologies, guided by the country's vision," Dr. Kasmi explained.
Due to the importance of awareness and education when it comes to AI-adoption, EDGE has established an AI academy to ensure that its engineers and programme managers are fully equipped to leverage AI-enabled technologies, he said.
"We are looking at a holistic approach when it comes to controlling and deploying responsible AI in our products," Dr. Kasmi added.
He explained that this approach involves three key aspects: preparing people to understand and adopt AI, integrating AI into engineering programmes to accelerate the design and development of technologies, and empowering end users to take ownership of AI-powered technologies, enhancing their efficiency and operations.
Renan Annize, International Sales Manager at Brazil-based CONDOR Non-Lethal Technologies, believes that AI can play a key role in crowd control and anti-riot non-lethal equipment.
AI offers an advantage in this industry segment when it comes to data analysis, crowd prediction and troop movement forecasting, he told Aletihad.
"AI's potential in defence is vast; it's clear from the wide range of home-grown solutions exhibited at IDEX 2025 that the UAE has been investing a lot in this technology," added Annize.
He also highlighted the importance of ensuring that AI-powered equipment retains a function for regaining human control, especially in law enforcement scenarios where any errors can have fatal consequences.
In May 2024, EDGE Group acquired a 51% stake in CONDOR. At IDEX 2025, the company is showcasing a drone for crowd control, capable of deploying tear gas over a range of 5km.
Annize noted that this drone can carry more than 24 ammunition cartridges, each containing two CS pellets, allowing for the deployment of a total of 48 CS pellets.
Also speaking with Aletihad, Piotr Ladzinski, Aerospace Engineer at Polish aviation company Flaris, noted that AI offers many advantages to the defence industry, especially when it comes to mission planning and early threat detection.
UAE defence conglomerate Edge Group has acquired a 50% stake in Polish light jet developer Flaris. At IDEX 2025, Flaris and Edge Group are showcasing the SINYAR LAR-3P unmanned aircraft.
This fully autonomous aircraft is designed for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions and integrates AI for object detection, according to Ladzinski.
He noted that the SINYAR LAR-3P is one of the lightest and fastest aircraft in the medium-altitude long-endurance category of UAVs.
This aircraft can take off from very short, unpaved runways, requiring just 200m for takeoff. Its wings are detachable, allowing it to be conveniently transported in a standard 40-foot container. Once airborne, it can reach an altitude of 40,000 feet with a cruise speed of 650km/h, according to Ladzinski.
