Emirati Conglomerate Edge Group Touts Gulf Region’s First Multidomain Military Test Island
The Emirati conglomerate Edge Group has established what it calls an international multidomain testing site for defence and aerospace systems, the first of its kind and size in the Gulf region, according to the company.
Dubbed the X Range, the site is located on the 350-square-kilometer (135-square-mile) island of Abu Al Abyad, which is almost twice the area of Washington, D.C., and about an hour’s drive from Abu Dhabi. (The complex is accessible from the shore via bridge.)
“The north side of the island has a dedicated shoreline for amphibious landing training and exercises, as well as shooting ranges and training facilities,” Haitham Awinat, chief executive officer of Remaya International, EDGE’s branch overseeing the venture, told Defence News at the Dubai Air Show here. “On the east side, you can find a 3,800-meter runway for large aircraft, a large drone hanger for storage, and drone testing zones.”
The location also features a directed-energy weapons testing area and is equipped with an additional 1,200 meter runway specifically for unmanned aircraft. Current airspace availability is up to 40,000 feet but can be extended further if needed.
A similar training venture was recently established by the U.S. Central Command in Saudi Arabia, known as the Red Sands Integrated Experimentation Center, to test counter-drone technology.
According to Awinat, all the platforms in EDGE’s portfolio have been trialled there. There are plans to make the X Range available to international law enforcement and defence customers.
“Our staged development plan currently foresees that in the second half of 2024 we will be ready to onboard international clients for them to exclusively use the testing site and deliver their equipment for this end,” Awinat said.
The range can be booked for a duration anywhere between several weeks and six months for international customers, he added. “No favouritism would be conducted” in picking or rejecting clients, with the UAE ministry of defence involved in making those calls, Awinat said.
