UAE suppliers seek share of contracts

UAE manufacturers of military uniforms and body armour are expecting to close deals with various government entities during Idex as they call on customers to buy locally. Hard Shell, a UAE-based company that produces helmets and bullet-proof vests, is in “healthy talks and constructive discussion” with the Ministry of Interior in Abu Dhabi about testing its products, said Anil Kant, the company’s chief executive. “It [the local defence manufacturing industry] is in the nascent stage and can develop further. Buyers are brain-washed to go to the UK or US for the best technology, but we bought this technology here. We are here because we want to save lives and of course there is a commercial side to that,” Kant said. The company, which currently exports 98 per cent of its products to Libya, Afghanistan, Iraq and countries not under US or UN embargoes, hopes to attract more local business. livemint