Plane maker seeks more tie-ups with Mubadala

Boeing is exploring additional areas of collaboration with Abu Dhabi-based Mubadala Development Company, a top official has said. Dennis Muilenburg, President and Chief Executive Officer of Boeing Defence, Space and Security, told Gulf News that Mubadala was one of Boeing's key partners in the UAE. "We are already working closely with Mubadala on a number of areas including manufacturing, MRO [maintenance, repair and overhaul], leadership activities and so on," he said. "We are exploring additional areas of partnership with them, and we are hopeful to make some steady progress on the same between now and the Dubai Air Show." Muilenburg's comments come shortly after Hommaid Al Shemmari, Executive Director at Mubadala Aerospace, a unit of Mub-adala Development Company, said that it is in talks with Boeing for a potential contract to make components for the US planemaker, as quoted by Bloomberg in March. "We are working with Boeing on multiple levels. Talks are still at the informal stage. Maybe within the next few months we could make an announcement," he said. Boeing and Mubadala signed a wide-ranging Strategic Framework Agreement at the 2009 Dubai Air Show, aimed at both companies intending to develop mutually beneficial initiatives in areas including composites manufacturing, engineering, research and development, commercial MRO, and military maintenance.