Sanad, a worldwide industrial services company with over 30 years of aeronautical expertise, is wholly owned by Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment Company PJSC (Mubadala). At the UAE Business Forum, which took place on the sidelines of this week’s B20 Summit 2022 in Bali – the pinnacle of the G20 Summit – they inked a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indonesia’s GMF, the country’s most prominent aeroplane maintenance firm.
This is the most recent achievement in Sanad’s continuous worldwide growth plan to establish an international network of aeroengine MRO centres. According to the terms of the agreement, Sanad and GMF will collaborate to develop a new state-of-the-art MRO centre of excellence for aviation engines.
The new centre of excellence will capitalize on the region’s growing demand for aircraft engine MRO services, which is being pushed by resourceful and strong air traffic and cargo volumes, by leveraging Indonesia’s strategic geographic location in the heart of the Asia-Pacific region, one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation markets.
“This milestone partnership accelerates our geographic expansion and strategy to facilitate premium engine maintenance services in major growth markets through a robust global network of world-class engine MRO centres,” said Mansoor Janahi, CEO of Sanad Group. “As a UAE-based industrial services champion and partner of choice to major engine OEMs and airlines, Sanad is well-known for its excellence and focus on unlocking future growth opportunities,” added Janahi. “Abu Dhabi is an integral player in the global aerospace supply chain, and Sanad is proud to be part of this success.”
The centre of excellence will contribute to the new UAE-Indonesia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, which intends to increase annual bilateral commerce between the two countries from over USD3 billion in 2021 to USD10 billion by 2026.
Prior to the opening of the new facility, the two companies will work together to develop MRO capabilities for CFM engines at GMF’s current plant in Jakarta. CFM engines are among the most frequently used aviation engines in the world, including the LEAP engine, which powers next-generation aircraft such as the Airbus A320neo, Boeing 737 MAX, and COMAC C919 aircraft family. The partnership will also benefit from improved repair capabilities supplied by Sanad from its cutting-edge Abu Dhabi facility.
Andi Fahrurrozi, CEO of GMF, commented: “This landmark partnership significantly enhances cooperation between two of the largest engine MRO companies in the Middle East and Indonesia. Representing a unique global cooperation model, the partnership is based on several key principles, including exchanging knowledge and expertise, training, improving the quality of customer solutions and services, driving growth, and enhancing our offering for industrial players across the Asia Pacific region.”