GE Aerospace to invest $10m in Middle East amid regional manufacturing boost

Aircraft engine supplier GE Aerospace is boosting its operations in the Middle East with an additional $10m of investment, aiming to support the region's manufacturing push. It is part of GE Aerospace’s global and multiyear $1 billion maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) spending commitment it announced in 2024, which aims to ensure that its facilities in the Middle East have the capacity to meet growing demand for services across the installed base of GE Aerospace and CFM, its joint venture with France's Safran Aircraft Engines. As well as investing in its hubs in Dubai and Doha, plans are afoot to increase the US company's workforce by 30%, in addition to providing funding for other potential investment opportunities in the region, GE Aerospace announced on the sidelines of the MRO Middle East aviation summit in Dubai on Monday. “Airlines in the region have ambitious growth plans that depend on keeping engines on wing and operating efficiently,” Aziz Koleilat, GE Aerospace's president and CE for the Middle East, Turkey and the CIS, said in a statement. “Expanding our MRO capacity means we can work on more engines and there is more we can do to those engines. It is part of our commitment to meeting our local customers’ needs and expectations during a critical period for the industry.” Regional airlines, particularly in the Gulf, had a strong year of profitability amid consistent strong demand for air travel, a push to increase international tourist arrivals, investment in airport upgrades and government policies designed to boost the aviation sector's contribution to the GDP.<br/>