EAI sees opportunity in military reliance on technology

The company hopes to develop proprietary technology to meet the military's need for high-tec equipment.

Emirates Advanced Investments (EAI), an IT firm with a strong focus on defence, will take advantage of the military's increasing reliance on complex electronics to develop proprietary technology, the company's chairman said yesterday. EAI signed agreements with Thales, the French defence giant, ITT, the American technology firm, and Raytheon, the US defence firm, yesterday and would sign more today and later this week, said Hussain al Hammadi, the chairman and chief executive at EAI.

The global defence industry is often criticised for selling weapons and technology to developing countries without contributing to their social welfare or economies, but Mr al Hammadi said EAI was looking to change that. "We are not into building facilities or hangars. We try to focus on human resources," he said. "Every relationship we have, we have to link it to the human resources development plan."