Women put Strata outlook into ascent

Strata employs about 275 Emirati women at its Al Ain factory, out of 320 Emirati employees. Delores Johnson / The National

The Al Ain-based airplane parts manufacturer Strata said it is foc­used on growth as it invests in building up its predominantly female Emirati workforce.

The supplier of composite aero-structures for Airbus A380s and A330s as well as for Boeing 777s and 787s said on Monday that its revenues grew 27 per cent last year to Dh400 million as it manufactured 7,511 parts during 2015.

Yesterday, Strata delivered its 100th empennage rib for the tail assemblies of Boeing 777 jets.

“In 2016, we will embark on a year of transformation. This year we will accelerate into the next stage of growth – driven by innovation, digitisation and the further development of global value chains.” said Badr Al Olama, the chief executive of Strata.

Strata employs about 275 Emirati women at its Al Ain factory, out of 320 Emirati employees – a significant chunk of its 700-strong workforce.

According to the company, which is 100 per cent owned by Abu Dhabi's Mubadala Development, 19 out of 40 team leaders are Emirati women and of its eight team supervisors two are also Emirati women.

Alongside the United Arab Emirates University and defence manufacturer Lockheed Martin, Strata helps to develop Emirati and female talent through its Aerostructures Technician Training Programme, which last year produced 41 UAE national graduates in specialist aerospace-related subjects.

Marillyn Hewson, chairman, president and chief executive of Lockheed Martin, said that her company’s participation in the programme showed the ambition of young women in the UAE.

“One of the graduates this year is a talented young woman whose key ambition is to become the first Emirati in space,” Mrs Hewson said at the Global Aerospace Summit in Abu Dhabi on Monday.

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