UAE Buys Embraer Bizjet In First Dubai Airshow 2025 Military Deal

DUBAI – The United Arab Emirates (UAE) armed forces is acquiring two Embraer Praetor 600s as VIP aircraft in one of the first military aircraft deals of the Dubai Airshow here.

Officials from the Tawazun Council for Defense Enablement, the UAE’s defense materiel agency, announced the deal, worth 212 million UAE dirhams ($58 million), on the opening day of the Dubai Airshow.

It was one of eight deals the agency agreed to for the UAE military, with a total value of 3.76 billion dirhams, with most of the funding going to local companies.

Tawazun officials would not comment on the number of aircraft or the final operator. But sources have told Aviation Week they will be operated by the UAE Air Force.

In addition, Airbus Helicopters received a 512 million dirham contract to provide the manufacturer’s HCare support for Airbus rotorcraft operated by the military and the government. Airbus types operated by the UAE military include AS332 Super Puma and AS565 Panthers flown by the Navy, as well as the AS550 Fennec, the military version of the H125 Ecureuil.

Deals worth 3.04 billion dirhams went to local companies. Global Air Navigation Services, a UAE-based air navigation service provider, received the largest contract, valued at 1.29 billion dirhams, for air traffic control services. GAL and Edge’s International Golden Group (IGG) received contracts for aircraft support services, and IGG also received a contract for airdrop parachutes.

Abu Dhabi Shipping Agency and Maximus Air received contracts for aircraft renting, worth a combined 430 million dirhams.