A U.S. high-tech arms company is to design and produce AI-powered drones in the United Arab Emirates under a joint venture, the two parties said on Thursday (November 13, 2025), strengthening close defence ties.
America's Anduril and the UAE's state-owned defence conglomerate, EDGE Group, will jointly develop the Omen drone at a new, 50,000 square feet (4,645 square metres) research centre in Abu Dhabi, a statement said.
The UAE will acquire the first 50 units, officials said. A publicity photo showed the Omen carrying the UAE air force's insignia.
The lightweight, long-distance, autonomous drone takes off and lands like a helicopter and flies like a plane, allowing it to be deployed from within war zones and disaster areas.
"This is... about disrupting current maritime patrol, special mission aircraft, much bigger systems. That's what we're going after," Anduril senior vice-president Shane Arnott said in a media call.
