UAE to become first country in region to manufacture and export its own N95 masks
Manufacturing line in Al Ain will have an annual production capacity of 30 million masks
N95 masks are respiratory protective devices that play an important role in filtering out airborne particles. The UAE currently imports all N95 respirators from abroad, with the new manufacturing line also set to transform the UAE into an exporter of the PPE product while also addressing its national requirements.
“As a responsible investor, we have been working across our global portfolio with local and international organisations to collectively respond to the COVID-19 crisis,” said Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, group chief executive officer and managing director of Mubadala.
“By collaborating with our longstanding and valued partner, Honeywell, we will be able to deliver critical support to frontline healthcare workers and members of the wider community,” he added.
“This new manufacturing capability will help address the critical demand for N95 respirators, and bolster the resilience of UAE’s PPE supply chains,” Al Mubarak said.
Mubadala’s collaboration with Honeywell is part of its #WeAreDedicated campaign – the company’s group-wide response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its efforts to coordinate initiatives across its business platforms and assets to support communities locally and internationally.
“As a global leader in advanced worker safety technologies, Honeywell is committed to ensuring that PPE products are being placed quickly and cost-effectively in the hands of those most in need, including medical professionals and those on the front lines of the fight against the spread of COVID-19,” said Darius Adamczyk, chairman and CEO of Honeywell, commenting on the new partnership.
“Mubadala has world-class manufacturing capabilities through its Strata subsidiary, and we are proud to extend the long standing, valued partnership between our companies to bring high quality respiratory manufacturing to the Middle East,” he added.