NAVDEX 2025: MAESTRAL JV wins €500 million UAE Navy support contract

A joint venture between UAE-based Edge Group and leading shipbuilding firm Fincantieri has been awarded a €500 million (US$524 million) contract to support the UAE Navy in its fleet maintenance.

The venture, known as MAESTRAL, will partner with the UAE Navy for comprehensive fleet maintenance management for the next five years, providing In-Service Support (ISS) across the UAE Navy’s fleet.

Hamad Al Marar, managing director and CEO at Edge Group, said: “This contract award underscores the trust placed in MAESTRAL’s advanced capabilities by our major customer, and important stakeholders worldwide.

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“Together with Fincantieri, we are fully confident that these capabilities will provide valuable opportunities from which this unique joint venture can utilise its vast resources and pool of experience available to deliver superior maritime vessels, turnkey solutions, and lifecycle maintenance services, to deliver commercial successes to all partners involved.”

The contract award took place at NAVDEX 2025 in Abu Dhabi on 17 February. The award was officially made by the Tawazun Council, an independent government entity that worked closely with the Ministry of Defence and security agencies in the United Arab Emirates.

Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO and managing director at Fincantieri, said the contract marked a pivotal moment for Fincantieri’s growth in the region.

The MAESTRAL joint venture, which was first announced in May 2024, aims to design and build naval vessels and service for navies around the world. Folgiero added that the five-year contract reflected the shared vision and of Fincantieri and Edge, as expressed through MAESTRAL.

The ISS strategic partnership is expected to use the combined capabilities of UAE national and international advanced shipyards to enhance the quality and performance of the UAE Navy, which currently comprises of 82 vessels, from patrol vessels and OPVs through to corvettes, minehunters and landing craft.

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