Jet engine maintenance specialist Sanad said its new aircraft engines overhaul deal with Pratt & Whitney will more than double its workforce and create more than 1,000 new jobs in Abu Dhabi, providing high-tech roles for Emiratis and diversifying economic activity.
The Mubadala-owned Sanad will increase its workforce to as many as 2,000 employees, up from 700 in 2025, as it prepares to open a new maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility in Al Ain by the end of 2028, Mansoor Janahi, managing director and chief executive of Sanad, said in an interview on the sidelines of Idex 2025 in Abu Dhabi.
"Job creation with this new project will be 1,080, based in Al Ain. Our current workforce is 600 and we're going to be 700 by the end of this year. So you're talking about a workforce of anywhere between 1,700 and 2,000 [people] for this project," he told The National. "Currently our Emiratisation rate is 32 per cent and we are looking to reach over 50 per cent with the new project."
The 30-year agreement with Pratt & Whitney is a "step-change" for Sanad because it will become the only MRO service provider for GTF engines in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia regions, according to Mr Janahi.
Pratt & Whitney, which is owned by US aerospace giant RTX, last week said it added Sanad to its global network of GTF engine maintenance providers. The Al Ain-based facility will service PW1100G-JM and PW1500G engines for the Airbus A320 Neo and A220 aircraft, respectively, as well as the PW1900G engine for the Embraer E-Jet E2 aircraft with full MRO services and test capability.
The Pratt & Whitney GTF MRO network includes 20 shops across four continents, providing aftermarket services. The installed base of the GTF is 5,000 engines – powering the Airbus A320 Neo, the Airbus A220 and the Embraer's E190-E2 and E195-E2 aircraft – which is expected to double to 10,000 engines that will provide a strong demand for aftermarket services, according to Mr Janahi.
Sanad's share of GTF engines' maintenance will be roughly 15 per cent of the global market, he said. This is expected to result in 360 shop visits per year, in addition to the 170 that Sanad completed in 2024 and the 200 shop visits it expects this year, he added. Its existing facility has capacity for 250 engines.
Construction of the GTF facility will start "immediately" and when completed will span 64,000 square metres, Mr Janahi said. Sanad will invest in the construction of the plant, the company's boss said, declining to provide the size of investment or the means of funding.
Skyrocketing engine maintenance demand
Separately, Sanad last week also announced that it will expand its MRO operations by using an existing facility in Al Ain belonging to Abu Dhabi's Ammroc, an MRO service provider for military and commercial aviation. Ammroc's plant spans 4,900 square metres and will become Sanad’s fourth facility as it increases capacity to meet rising global demand for MRO services. This facility will expand Sanad’s production capacity from 250 to 300 engines per year.
Soaring air travel demand and delays in new jet deliveries are forcing airlines to keep older aircraft in their fleet for longer, putting pressure on repair shops globally. Surging demand for jet maintenance also comes as airlines and manufacturers struggle with supply chain snags in the wake of the pandemic and more frequent engine repairs.
"There's a huge demand for engine MRO services and we work with all OEMs and we've built that credibility and trust. The OEMs are coming to us to say 'we'd like to do more'. The Ammroc facility in Al Ain will be purely to address the existing portfolio," Mr Janahi said. Sanad's new facility in Al Ain will be operational by end of 2028 and will be "purpose-built" to specifically service the GTF engines, he said.
"Our strategy has been to invest in a diversified product portfolio with a nice mix of legacy and new-generation engine. We are seeing legacy [engines] flying longer and the new ones having challenges in terms of durability. So the strategy is coming together from a maintenance perspective because there is demand for legacy and new engines," Mr Janahi said.
"It's always been a strategy to future-proof the business ... with multi-OEMs and multiple products." That strategy to diversify the portfolio has paid off in terms of reducing risk, he added.
'Tremendous opportunity'
Sanad has a long-standing relationship with Pratt & Whitney spanning more than 12 years through an MRO deal for V2500 engines that power the classic version of A320 aircraft. The agreement to add Sanad to Pratt & Whitney’s GTF MRO network is part of RTX's offset programme with the UAE's Tawazun Council, the companies said.
There are 11,000 GTF engines on order to date so there is a "tremendous opportunity" for aftermarket services, Marc Meredith, vice president of GTF Aftermarket Programmes at Pratt & Whitney, told The National. Pratt & Whitney's upgraded engine, the GTF Advantage, will be coming to market and the company is looking to win a share of the 34,000 single-aisle aircraft that airlines will require over the next two decades.
"We see a long, bright future for the GTF as a programme, so as part of that, we need to have a number of engine overhaul centres to repair engines and that's where Sanad comes in," he said. Having an MRO centre in the region for GTF engines will save transport time and cost, filling the gap that existed in its global network of centres, he added. P&W will train 20 Sanad engineers on overhauling GTF engines and then they will train the local workforce.
The deal will help ease MRO service capacity and satisfy the existing order and new orders in the future, Mr Meredith said. He declined to comment on the problems currently facing the GTF engines. A rare powder metal defect in these engines has affected mainly the A320 Neo jets, leading the manufacturer to call for inspections.
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Asia Cup 2018 final
Who: India v Bangladesh
When: Friday, 3.30pm, Dubai International Stadium
Watch: Live on OSN Cricket HD
Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 48V hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: Dh289,000
If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
The five new places of worship
Church of South Indian Parish
St Andrew's Church Mussaffah branch
St Andrew's Church Al Ain branch
St John's Baptist Church, Ruwais
Church of the Virgin Mary and St Paul the Apostle, Ruwais
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
The%C2%A0specs%20
%3Cp%3E%0D%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E6-cylinder%2C%204.8-litre%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E5-speed%20automatic%20and%20manual%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E280%20brake%20horsepower%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E451Nm%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efrom%20Dh153%2C00%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: nine-speed
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh848,000
On sale: now
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Company profile
Name: Fruitful Day
Founders: Marie-Christine Luijckx, Lyla Dalal AlRawi, Lindsey Fournie
Based: Dubai, UAE
Founded: 2015
Number of employees: 30
Sector: F&B
Funding so far: Dh3 million
Future funding plans: None at present
Future markets: Saudi Arabia, potentially Kuwait and other GCC countries
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
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Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
Biography
Favourite Meal: Chicken Caesar salad
Hobbies: Travelling, going to the gym
Inspiration: Father, who was a captain in the UAE army
Favourite read: Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter
Favourite film: The Founder, about the establishment of McDonald's
Last 10 NBA champions
2017: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-1
2016: Cleveland bt Golden State 4-3
2015: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-2
2014: San Antonio bt Miami 4-1
2013: Miami bt San Antonio 4-3
2012: Miami bt Oklahoma City 4-1
2011: Dallas bt Miami 4-2
2010: Los Angeles Lakers bt Boston 4-3
2009: Los Angeles Lakers bt Orlando 4-1
2008: Boston bt Los Angeles Lakers 4-2
Results
2.30pm: Expo 2020 Dubai – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (Dirt) 1,600m; Winner: Barakka, Ray Dawson (jockey), Ahmad bin Harmash (trainer)
3.05pm: Now Or Never – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: One Idea, Andrea Atzeni, Doug Watson
3.40pm: This Is Our Time – Handicap (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Perfect Balance, Tadhg O’Shea, Bhupat Seemar
4.15pm: Visit Expo 2020 – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Kaheall, Richard Mullen, Salem bin Ghadayer
4.50pm: The World In One Place – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1.900m; Winner: Castlebar, Adrie de Vries, Helal Al Alawi
5.25pm: Vision – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Shanty Star, Richard Mullen, Rashed Bouresly
6pm: Al Wasl Plaza – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Jadwal, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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The%20Super%20Mario%20Bros%20Movie
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The specs: McLaren 600LT
Price, base: Dh914,000
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 600hp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 620Nm @ 5,500rpm
Fuel economy 12.2.L / 100km
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
