Italian-British helicopter maker AgustaWestland will set up a helicopter maintenance and assembly plant in Qatar, according to a memorandum of understanding recently signed between the Head of the Emiri Diwan Sheikh Abdullah Bin Muhammad Bin Saud Al-Thani and an executive from the firm, Al-Hayat reported.
"This will be the first plant of its kind in the Middle East and will serve the Gulf, Asia and Africa. It will place Qatar on the international aviation industry map," Al-Thani announced in a news conference in the Qatari capital Doha.
The agreement includes the construction of a plant that will also provide maintenance services to civilian and military helicopters. In a later phase of the project, the Qatari plant will assemble helicopters.
Gulf Helicopters, an affiliate of state-owned Qatar Petroleum, will be Agusta's partner in the joint venture, whose cost has not been disclosed, reported AFP. Finmeccanica of Italy and GKN of the UK jointly own AgustaWestland. — (menareport.com)
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