Sara Al Memari, acting chief executive of Strata Manufacturing, says the company is growing in the aerospace and other industries. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Sara Al Memari, acting chief executive of Strata Manufacturing, says the company is growing in the aerospace and other industries. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Sara Al Memari, acting chief executive of Strata Manufacturing, says the company is growing in the aerospace and other industries. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Sara Al Memari, acting chief executive of Strata Manufacturing, says the company is growing in the aerospace and other industries. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Mubadala's Strata in talks to make global jet-engine parts for first time


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Strata, Mubadala Investment Company’s aerospace manufacturing unit, is in talks to manufacture aircraft engine parts for the first time, capitalising on opportunities arising from a global shortage.

The Al Ain-based company is close to finalising a deal to start the process early next year, acting chief executive Sara Al Memari told The National during the Dubai Airshow.

“This is something really exciting and is one of the, let's say, hot cakes within the market,” she said. “We are actively looking into it and hopefully we will be closing something. We're pushing to Q1.”

Ms Al Memari did not disclose which entity the deal in discussion is with.

The global aviation industry is currently experiencing a severe shortage of jet engines and spare parts. The industrywide supply chain crisis, rooted in the pandemic, geopolitical tension and labour shortages, is costing airlines billions and forcing them to ground aircraft and continue operating with older, less efficient planes.

Together, these factors reduce aircraft availability, lengthen maintenance turnaround times and raise costs across the industry, according to the International Air Transport Association (Iata).

The global aviation body says aviation’s supply chain is under intense pressure. Aircraft deliveries fell to just 1,254 in 2024 – about 30 per cent below the pre-Covid peak – while the backlog swelled to a record 17,000 jets, according to Iata’s estimate last month.

Supply chain challenges are projected to cost the airline industry more than $11 billion this year, driven by delayed fuel savings and higher maintenance costs, as well as excess engine leasing and spares inventory, Iata said in an October report.

Engine issues alone have grounded hundreds of aircraft, leaving airlines short of capacity, it said.

Strata says carbon-fibre will be one of the materials used to build the Boeing 777X, according to Ms Al Memari. “It is not yet quantified in terms of which part of the aircraft [it will be used for]. We are still in the negotiating phase,” she said.

Strata’s high-tech facility in Al Ain is capable of providing carbon-fibre prepreg materials – fibre and resin combinations cured under heat and pressure – for the primary structure applications in Boeing’s 777X programme, added Ms Al Memari.

The Strata Syensqo Advanced Material (SSAM) facility in Al Ain, which is in partnership with the Belgian company Syensqo, will be manufacturing the raw material specifically for the 777X aircraft.

The facility is ready and currently, in the qualification phase. “We should start manufacturing by the end of the first quarter of 2026,” Ms Al Memari said,

Asked about the capacity that SSAM will have, Ms Al Memari did not specify how much they will be able to produce annually, but said they are “fully sold out for the next 10 years” to manufacture components for the 777X. She also did not disclose the value of the contract with Boeing.

Seeking contracts for single-aisle planes

Strata is also seeking contracts for single-aisle planes. “We are talking to multiple [OEMs]. It is one of the things that we are currently looking at,” said Ms Al Memari.

Asked why it was taking so long to strike any deal for the manufacturing of single-aisle parts, Ms Al Memari said: “This is a new thing. Anything new you want to start, you start slow and you build up to it.”

In talks with Comac

In reference to partnerships with manufacturers beyond Airbus and Boeing, Ms Al Memari said Strata is also in talks with Chinese state-owned aerospace manufacturer Comac about “any potential collaboration, but there’s nothing yet”.

Ms Al Memari added: “Joining the aerospace industry is not as simple as onboarding a new customer.”

Expanding into non-aerospace verticals

Strata is also looking to expand into non-aerospace verticals. It is partnering with SailGP for catamaran boats and working with the space industry to manufacturing satellite parts.

“We're growing,” Ms Al Memari said. “We're going to be adding couple of verticals. We're focusing not just on the aerospace industry] … we are looking into different verticals.

“One of them is the SailGP, which is a sports thing. And then, we are looking into satellite [parts manufacturing]. When it comes to space, we are building the MRO service.”

SailGP last year announced a new production-based partnership with Strata Manufacturing for the latter to supply parts of SailGP’s F50 catamarans.

Growing business

Strata, which has a five-year business plan in place, starting 2026, reported a 38 per cent increase in the manufacture and export of aircraft components to its aerospace partners in 2024, compared the previous year.

The company, which currently operates 30 production lines, manufactured and delivered 11,774 aerostructure components last year, compared to 8,530 components in 2023. Since it was established 15 years ago, Strata has shipped 100,000 aerostructure components for wide-body aircraft.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

Schedule:

Friday, January 12: Six fourball matches
Saturday, January 13: Six foursome (alternate shot) matches
Sunday, January 14: 12 singles

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Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

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The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

Available: Now

GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

THE SPECS

Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8

Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch

Power: 710bhp

Torque: 770Nm

Speed: 0-100km/h 2.9 seconds

Top Speed: 340km/h

Price: Dh1,000,885

On sale: now

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The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

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Cryopreservation: A timeline
  1. Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
  2. Ovarian tissue surgically removed
  3. Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
  4. Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
  5. Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
RESULT

Liverpool 4 Southampton 0
Jota (2', 32')
Thiago (37')
Van Dijk (52')

Man of the match: Diogo Jota (Liverpool)

AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street

The seven points are:

Shakhbout bin Sultan Street

Dhafeer Street

Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)

Salama bint Butti Street

Al Dhafra Street

Rabdan Street

Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)

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Breast cancer in men: the facts

1) Breast cancer is men is rare but can develop rapidly. It usually occurs in those over the ages of 60, but can occasionally affect younger men.

2) Symptoms can include a lump, discharge, swollen glands or a rash. 

3) People with a history of cancer in the family can be more susceptible. 

4) Treatments include surgery and chemotherapy but early diagnosis is the key. 

5) Anyone concerned is urged to contact their doctor

 

Expert advice

“Join in with a group like Cycle Safe Dubai or TrainYAS, where you’ll meet like-minded people and always have support on hand.”

Stewart Howison, co-founder of Cycle Safe Dubai and owner of Revolution Cycles

“When you sweat a lot, you lose a lot of salt and other electrolytes from your body. If your electrolytes drop enough, you will be at risk of cramping. To prevent salt deficiency, simply add an electrolyte mix to your water.”

Cornelia Gloor, head of RAK Hospital’s Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy Centre 

“Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can ride as fast or as far during the summer as you do in cooler weather. The heat will make you expend more energy to maintain a speed that might normally be comfortable, so pace yourself when riding during the hotter parts of the day.”

Chandrashekar Nandi, physiotherapist at Burjeel Hospital in Dubai
 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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It Was Just an Accident

Director: Jafar Panahi

Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr

Rating: 4/5

Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDirect%20Debit%20System%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sept%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20with%20a%20subsidiary%20in%20the%20UK%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Undisclosed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Elaine%20Jones%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Types of bank fraud

1) Phishing

Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.

2) Smishing

The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.

3) Vishing

The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.

4) SIM swap

Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.

5) Identity theft

Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.

6) Prize scams

Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.

What is a robo-adviser?

Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.

These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.

Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.

Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.

Updated: November 20, 2025, 12:05 PM