Sanad, a global leader in aerospace engineering and asset management solutions, is creating an integrated ecosystem in Al Ain spanning engine maintenance and overhaul, advanced component repair, and engine testing and validation.

Across 93,600 sq m within Tahnoun International Airport, the expansion represents the most significant development in Sanad’s history and places Al Ain at the heart of the company’s next chapter of global growth. 

At the centre of this expansion are four strategic projects: the GTF Engine MRO Centre, Twin Engine Test Cell Complex, Repair Centre of Excellence and dedicated GEnx Engine MRO Centre. Together, they will give Sanad capacity to maintain up to 410 engines, conduct up to 600 engine tests, and repair up to 65,000 engine parts annually from Al Ain, supporting five major current and next-generation engine platforms: Pratt & Whitney GTF, GE Aerospace GEnx, CFM International LEAP, Rolls-Royce Trent 700 and IAE V2500.

Laying the foundations for Al Ain’s future

By establishing advanced aerospace infrastructure, developing national expertise and expanding the capabilities required to serve customers from around the world, Sanad is helping lay the foundations for Al Ain’s future as a global aerospace powerhouse and strengthening the UAE’s role in the future of the global aerospace industry.

Sanad, wholly owned by Mubadala Investment Company, is expanding at a time of unprecedented demand for aviation maintenance, with the global Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) market was valued at $136 billion in 2025 and projected to approach $193 billion by 2030. 

The Al Ain expansion will provide Sanad with the additional capacity and capabilities to respond to this demand while establishing in the UAE more of the advanced infrastructure and technical expertise required by the global aerospace industry.

 Resilience of the country’s aerospace sector

By bringing more engine maintenance, advanced repair and testing capabilities together within the UAE, these strategic developments will also strengthen the resilience of the country’s aerospace sector while expanding the capacity available to support the continued growth and resilience of global aviation.

Mansoor Janahi, Managing Director and Group CEO of Sanad, said: “Al Ain will be at the heart of Sanad’s next chapter of global growth. As the engine MRO market evolves, our strategy is to scale ahead of demand, deepen our technical capabilities and expand the solutions we provide across the lifecycle of an engine. Our growth in Al Ain is central to that strategy, giving us the capacity and capabilities to serve a growing global customer base and accelerating our journey to become one of the world’s top five independent engine MRO providers.”

Sanad’s GTF Engine MRO Centre will be the anchor of this expansion. Spanning 64,000 sq m, it will be the first dedicated Pratt & Whitney GTF MRO centre of its kind in the South Asia, Middle East and Africa (SAMEA) region. Construction commenced in April 2026, with operations scheduled to begin in 2028. The centre will create 1,000 direct jobs, with a target of 50% Emiratisation, developing specialised national expertise in next-generation engines.

Twin Engine Test Cell Complex

Alongside it, the 9,000 sq m Twin Engine Test Cell Complex will provide in-house testing and validation for narrowbody and widebody engines through two 12m × 12m test cells, creating the first civil aviation engine test cell complex in Al Ain and the largest civil engine test facility in the UAE. The Repair Centre of Excellence, a purpose-built 17,600 sq m facility, will consolidate advanced component repair across five engine platforms when operations begin in 2030.

The ecosystem is already taking shape. Sanad’s dedicated GEnx Engine MRO Centre has been operational in Al Ain since June 2026. The 4,900+ sq m facility provides dedicated capacity for up to 50 engine shop visits annually, building on more than a decade of Sanad’s experience on the platform and over 250 GEnx engine inductions supporting leading carriers including Etihad Airways and Qantas, alongside customers from across the globe.

Expanding geographic footprint

Together, the four projects significantly expand Sanad’s geographic footprint, capacity and capabilities while complementing its established operations in Abu Dhabi. Al Ain and Abu Dhabi will form a more powerful and integrated MRO network, combining greater specialisation and technical depth with the scale to support growing global customer demand.

Building that future requires more than infrastructure. It requires people and expertise. Sanad’s Al Ain operations will support a workforce of more than 1,600, while creating new pathways for Emiratis to develop specialised expertise across engine maintenance, engineering, advanced repair and testing. This year, Sanad launched the first cohort of its apprenticeship program for UAE nationals, welcoming 25 apprentices and developing the specialised technical skills and national expertise needed to support the growth of engine MRO in Al Ain.—TradeArabia News Service