BigBear.ai opens Abu Dhabi office for Middle East expansion
Former US homeland security chief leads Middle East push
#UAE #defence - Virginia-headquartered defence AI company BigBear.ai has opened its first Middle East office at the World Trade Centre Abu Dhabi, marking a significant long-term investment in the region. The company provides mission-ready artificial intelligence solutions for defence, intelligence and commercial customers. The expansion follows recent regional partnerships with Vigilix Technology Investment and Easy Lease, both owned by IHC (International Holding Company). The new office aims to create employment opportunities for Emirati talent, whilst building capabilities in frictionless travel and trade security applications.
SO WHAT? - The expansion builds on BigBear.ai’s strategic partnership with Easy Lease, one of the UAE’s leading motorbike leasing providers for last-mile delivery services. Easy Lease is leveraging the partnership to deploy AI-enabled solutions across mobility, logistics and related infrastructure. The new office opening is likely attributable to momentum in that partnership and obvious business development opportunities within the wider IHC group. However, the move also positions the company at the centre of the UAE’s fast growing defence industry.
Here are some key points about the announcement:
BigBear.ai, a NYSE-listed company (symbol: BBAI) based in McLean, Virginia, has opened its inaugural Middle East office at the World Trade Center Abu Dhabi as part of a long-term regional investment strategy focused on defence and intelligence AI applications.
The announcement was made by Kevin McAleenan, President and CEO of BigBear.ai and former Acting US Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, during his keynote address at the Global AI Show in Abu Dhabi.
BigBear.ai specialises in providing mission-ready artificial intelligence and predictive analytics capabilities for defence, national security and critical infrastructure customers operating in complex, distributed, mission-based environments across government and commercial sectors.
The company has recently established partnerships in the region with UAE-based companies Vigilix Technology Investment and Easy Lease, both of which are owned by Abu Dhabi conglomerate (IHC) International Holding Company.
The expansion strategy includes plans to create employment opportunities for top Emirati talent whilst building a diverse, high-performing workforce capable of delivering AI solutions to government and commercial partners across the UAE and wider region.
The company positions itself as bringing deep experience supporting government and commercial partners in the United States to new markets, with particular expertise in security, border management and trade facilitation applications of artificial intelligence technology.
ZOOM OUT - BigBear.ai has been working closely with the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet for the past few years, providing AI and data services for pioneering work in developing AI and autonomous systems for marine security. The AI company has been working with the first-of-its-kind U.S. Navy initiative Task Force 59, which has a mandate to find ways of accelerating the adoption of AI and unmanned systems. Using the Arabian Gulf as the laboratory, the US Navy and its partners such as Bear.ai are pioneering ways to manage the complexity of embracing AI into maritime security operations, whilst delivering next-level intelligence, incident prevention and response capabilities.
[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]
Read more about BigBear.ai:
A testbed for naval innovation (Middle East AI News)
BigBear.ai & IHC’s Easy Lease to develop AI solutions (Middle East AI News)