ADCOM Industries of Abu Dhabi in UAE manufacture a wide range of aerial targets (mostly jet propelled). However, they have recently introduced the SMART EYE UAV System that seems to be a long range, prop driven and very capable UAV/ UCAV platform. Attached are some photos of it taken most likely at the IDEX 2009 exhibition in Abu Dhabi. The UAV is currently a prototype and not in use by any nation including the UAE.

A 50-member delegation departs this weekend for the United Arab Emirates on a civilian nuclear energy trade mission sponsored and led by the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) and the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council, and certified by the U.S. Department of Commerce's Foreign Commercial Service.

The group represents 40 US companies that could provide products and services to the U.A.E.'s nuclear program. These companies are involved in manufacturing, services, logistics, engineering, and consulting. Over the course of three days, they will meet with representatives from the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation, the U.A.E.'s Nuclear Energy Program Implementation Organization, as well as officials from the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO). KEPCO leads the consortium selected to build the U.A.E.'s nuclear energy plants. The consortium includes Pittsburgh-based Westinghouse, a Business Council member.

"The United States and U.A.E. are close allies and strong trading partners. In fact, the U.A.E. buys products and services from every state in the United States and more U.S. products than any other Arab nation. This trade mission seeks to expand our partnership further," said Danny Sebright, president of the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council.

"We are delighted to be the first country to lead a trade delegation to the U.A.E. in the civil nuclear energy sector after the selection of the prime contractor. U.S. companies are ideally positioned to compete for this business, which if won means important jobs for our economy at home," said Sebright.

"N.E.I. has been impressed with how the U.A.E. has constructed its nuclear energy program, particularly its extensive cooperation with the I.A.E.A. and responsible governments, and with the high standards of safety, security and operational transparency being put in place. The development of a strong nuclear energy infrastructure will bring clean, reliable electricity to the U.A.E.'s citizens, and holds the potential to bring thousands of new nuclear energy-related jobs to the U.S. manufacturing and service sector," added Lisa Steward, N.E.I.'s senior director and assistant corporate secretary.

The U.A.E.'s comprehensive approach to nuclear energy is based on the decision to develop the program with safety and non?proliferation as its foundation, and to forgo domestic enrichment and reprocessing of nuclear fuel, the two parts of the nuclear fuel cycle that can most readily be used for non?peaceful purposes. The U.S.-U.A.E. agreement on peaceful civilian nuclear energy cooperation agreement, referred to as a "123 Agreement," went into force in December 2009.

The Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) is the policy organization of the nuclear energy and technologies industry and participates in both the national and global policy-making process. The U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council is the premier business advocacy organization committed to advancing the commercial relationship between the two countries.

The contract for the development of the AB17 Nimr (Tiger)was concluded in early 1999 by Russian automaker GAZ (Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod)with a consortium which included the Jordanian King Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau (KADDB) and Bin Jabr Enterprises (through its Emirates Defense Technologies subsidiary).

EDT initially started the project as a joint Russian-United Arab Emirates venture, with the GAZ automobile plant from Nizhni Novgorod holding a 50-percent stake. Engineers from GAZ and the Industrial Computer Technologies engineering firm (a subsidiary of GAZ)designed the Nimr. The UAE provided financing to the tune of $60 million.

More

Emirates Telecommunications Corp (Etisalat) would enter the Algerian market if the right opportunity came up, its chairman said.

"We are interested in the Algerian market when we see the right opportunity. No doubt that choosing a telecom partner is an Algerian government decision," Mohammad Omran said in remarks emailed to Reuters.

Omran was quoted by United Arab Emirates (UAE) daily The National on Thursday as saying the firm was interested in buying Djezzy, the Algerian unit of Egypt's Orascom Telecom.

The Algerian government wants Orascom to relinquish ownership of Algeria's No.1 mobile phone operator, government and finance industry sources told Reuters this week.

Omran said relations between the UAE and Algeria were "very distinguished" and the North African country had "opened many doors to many investment opportunities" in various sectors.

Orascom is currently appealing a $597 million tax bill Algeria says Djezzy owes. It is also in the process of raising $800 million via a rights issue to cover any potential cash shortfall.

Orascom Telecom could secure $6 billion to 7 billion if it chooses to sell Djezzy, but might have to accept far less if forced out by the government, analysts told Reuters on Wednesday.

Etisalat, the Gulf region's second-largest telecommunications firm by market value, has been aggressively expanding outside the UAE since its monopoly there was broken by Dubai-based du in 2007.

The company said earlier that there were six markets in the Middle East and North Africa that it was investigating for both acquisitions or new licences within markets that are underserved by phone services.

"Etisalat is in an excellent position - financially and operationally to capitalise on these opportunities," Omran said in the statement, without giving further details.

Etisalat, which this week said it had crossed the 100 million subscriber mark, operates in 18 countries, stretching from Tanzania to Indonesia and including Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

The firm submitted a bid in July for a licence in Libya and has previously indicated its interest in acquiring a company in Iraq and bidding for licences in Lebanon and Syria. It failed last year in a bid to take a stake in Meditel, Morocco's second-largest telecommunications' firm and had its licence withdrawn in Iran.

Abu Dhabi's Aabar Investments on Wednesday decided to take a minority interest in an auto assembling plant in Algeria.

The investment company will also own a majority 51 per cent in joint venture tunnel-boring equipment manufacturing company with Herrenknecht, a leading German firm that has large stakes in tunnel-boring equipment manufacturing.

The directors of the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange-listed investment company have approved a 24.5 per cent stake in a joint venture with the government of Algeria and Ferrostaal, to build the first of three factories in Algeria, the firm said in a regulatory filing on Wednesday.

This is the first stage in executing the memorandum of understanding signed by the Abu Dhabi firm last year with the government of Algeria, and Germany's auto giants Ferrostaal, Rheinmetall, Daimler, Deutz, and MTU.

Up to 10,000 cars and trucks will be assembled each year at the plant as the North African country looks to establish an industrial base. Assembly is expected to start in 2010 following the modernisation or development of plants in Tiaret, Ain Smara and Oued Hamimine. The project will be led by the German truck manufacturer MAN Ferrostaal.

Daimler, Deutz, MTU and Rheinmetall will participate as technology partners providing licences and intellectual property. The investment in the auto manufacturing unit is the third major investment by the ADX-listed company 
this year.
It shook the stock markets last month by acquiring 70 per cent ownership of Arabtec Holdings PJSC investing Dh6.4 billion, at a share price of Dh2.3.

Aabar share price climbed as much as 1.32 per cent to close at Dh2.33 on Wednesday at Abu Dhabi Securities 
Exchange.

Aabar last week agreed to invest US$20 million for stakes in US aviation company XOJET Inc.