28 September 2026
Sanad, the Abu Dhabi aerospace engineering company wholly owned by Mubadala Investment Company, is building a GTF engine maintenance centre of more than 64,000 square metres in Al Ain that is planned to become the second-largest GTF engine maintenance centre in the world. Engine inductions are scheduled to begin in 2028, and once the centre is fully operational it will need more than 1,000 technicians, Group Chief Financial Officer Kashish Kohli told Gulf News in an interview published on 28 September 2026. Sanad is also building an AED 480 million Repair Centre of Excellence in Al Ain with more than 350 jobs, due to begin operations by 2030. In the first half of 2026 the company’s revenue rose 35% year on year to AED 4.31 billion.
Key facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Company | Sanad, Abu Dhabi, wholly owned by Mubadala Investment Company |
| Project | GTF Engine MRO Centre in Al Ain, more than 64,000 square metres, under construction |
| Ambition | The second-largest GTF engine maintenance centre in the world |
| Start of work | Engine inductions scheduled for 2028 |
| Workforce | More than 1,000 technicians at full capacity |
| Engines covered | Pratt & Whitney PW1100G-JM (Airbus A320neo family), PW1500G (Airbus A220) and PW1900G (Embraer E-Jet E2) |
| Second facility | Repair Centre of Excellence, AED 480 million, about 17,600 square metres, more than 350 jobs, up to 65,000 repaired parts a year, operations by 2030 |
| First half of 2026 | Revenue AED 4.31 billion (up 35%), 898 employees (up 44%) |
What Sanad is building in Al Ain
GTF is the family of geared turbofan engines made by Pratt & Whitney, part of RTX. In February 2025 Pratt & Whitney announced that it was adding Sanad to its global network of GTF maintenance providers. According to the RTX release, the Al Ain facility will be the first GTF MRO network member in the South Asia, Middle East and North Africa region and will provide full maintenance, repair and overhaul services and test capability for the PW1100G-JM engine of the Airbus A320neo family, the PW1500G of the Airbus A220 and the PW1900G of the Embraer E-Jet E2. At the time of the announcement the network had 20 shops across four continents. Sanad has serviced the V2500 engine for more than a decade.
Sanad is building two facilities in Al Ain. The first is the GTF Engine MRO Centre, where, according to Kohli, construction is progressing. The second is the Repair Centre of Excellence, a facility of about 17,600 square metres worth AED 480 million. Once fully operational, it is expected to support more than 350 jobs and to handle up to 65,000 repaired parts a year. Over the past two years Sanad has invested more than AED 800 million in UAE aerospace infrastructure, including repair capabilities, testing infrastructure and next-generation engine maintenance capacity.
Where the 1,000 technicians will come from
Kohli said the company does not expect all of the new technicians to be expatriates recruited abroad. “It’s a global shortage. It’s a global issue that we are trying to address,” he told Gulf News. Sanad’s approach combines work with universities, on-the-job training and trainee programmes with hiring from abroad where it makes sense, and the company wants more of its future leaders to come from its own workshops.
The starting point is smaller. In the first half of 2026 Sanad’s workforce grew 44% year on year to 898 employees. Emiratisation reached 36.9%, and UAE nationals held 51.6% of senior leadership positions. The GTF centre alone will need more technicians than the entire workforce Sanad had in mid-2026.
Why engine capacity is the bottleneck
Citing Oliver Wyman projections, Kohli said the global commercial fleet is expected to grow from around 30,000 aircraft today to close to 41,000 by 2035-2036, with the Middle East growing at about 5% a year. Boeing expects the regional fleet to more than double by 2044. “Demand is not our bottleneck. Capacity and capability are,” Kohli said.
In the first half of 2026 Sanad inducted 120 engines, 33.3% more than a year earlier, and its engine deliveries rose 53.8%. The company expects its existing network to reach an annual capacity of about 275 to 300 engine shop visits before the GTF facility opens in 2028. It currently supports the Trent 700, V2500, GEnx and LEAP engine platforms, and GTF capability is scheduled to join them in 2028.
Turnaround times depend not only on the number of maintenance bays but also on parts from manufacturers, material availability and the capacity of external repair shops. Sanad’s answer is vertical integration: bringing more repair and testing work in-house. Its Asset Management division launched a Trent 700 rebuild programme and deployed about AED 165 million in the first half of 2026 on engine acquisitions, repair and rebuild work and asset optimisation. It acquired 11 engines, taking its active portfolio to 17 assets.
Sanad in the first half of 2026
- Revenue of AED 4.31 billion, up 35% year on year.
- 99% of revenue from international customers, with more than 80 airlines, lessors and original equipment manufacturers served worldwide.
- Eight new commercial agreements worth AED 95.5 million.
- 120 engines inducted, up 33.3%, and engine deliveries up 53.8%.
- 898 employees, up 44%, with Emiratisation at 36.9%.
Kohli said Sanad is looking at markets where it could be closer to its customers outside the UAE, but no specific expansion has been announced. The immediate priority is to deliver the facilities already under development in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain and to build the workforce to run them.
What it means for companies in the UAE
The project does not introduce a new procedure, fee or deadline for businesses. Its relevance is practical.
- Al Ain is gaining large employers. Sanad plans more than 1,000 technicians at the GTF centre and more than 350 jobs at the Repair Centre of Excellence, and State Street plans to hire 300 people for its operating centre in Al Ain, as we reported in our article on State Street’s Al Ain operating centre.
- Sanad says it will fill part of its workforce through hiring abroad. Every specialist recruited from outside the country needs a UAE work permit and residence visa, and a company can only sponsor visas within the quota of its licence and premises.
- Companies that plan to offer training, logistics, tooling or technical staffing to aviation maintenance need a trade licence that covers those activities. Our guide to company formation in the UAE explains how to choose the jurisdiction and the licence activities.
Checklist for companies working with the UAE aviation sector
- Check that your trade licence lists the activities you plan to offer, such as technical training, logistics, equipment trading or manpower services, and ask the licensing authority whether any activity needs an additional approval.
- Plan work visas for technicians and engineers early, including the attestation of their diplomas and professional certificates.
- Check your visa quota before you commit to hiring: it depends on the licence and the size of your office.
- Keep your ownership documents, corporate bank account and accounts in order, since large counterparties review them when they onboard suppliers.
How Atlant Capital can help
We do not arrange aviation certifications or recruit technicians. We set up and maintain the business side of companies that want to work in the UAE, including companies serving the aviation sector.
- Company formation in a free zone or on the mainland, with licence activities matched to your services.
- Work visas and residency for engineers, technicians and their families.
- Corporate bank account opening for new and existing companies.
The bottom line
Sanad is building a GTF engine maintenance centre of more than 64,000 square metres in Al Ain, planned as the second-largest in the world, with engine inductions from 2028 and more than 1,000 technicians at full capacity. The AED 480 million Repair Centre of Excellence, with more than 350 jobs, is due to open by 2030. The company expects much of the new workforce to be developed in the UAE through universities and trainee programmes, with hiring abroad where it makes sense. In the first half of 2026 its revenue grew 35% to AED 4.31 billion, with 99% coming from international customers.
FAQ
What is Sanad building in Al Ain?
Sanad is building two facilities in Al Ain. The GTF Engine MRO Centre covers more than 64,000 square metres and is planned to become the second-largest GTF engine maintenance centre in the world. The Repair Centre of Excellence is an AED 480 million facility of about 17,600 square metres that will handle up to 65,000 repaired parts a year.
When will the Sanad GTF engine centre in Al Ain open?
Engine inductions at the GTF centre are scheduled to begin in 2028. The Repair Centre of Excellence is scheduled to begin operations by 2030. Sanad expects its existing network to reach about 275 to 300 engine shop visits a year before the GTF centre opens.
How many jobs will the Sanad facilities in Al Ain create?
The GTF centre will need more than 1,000 technicians once it is fully operational, and the Repair Centre of Excellence is expected to support more than 350 jobs. Sanad expects much of the workforce to be developed in the UAE through universities, trainee programmes and on-the-job training, with hiring abroad where it makes sense. In mid-2026 the company had 898 employees.
What is a GTF engine?
GTF is the geared turbofan engine family made by Pratt & Whitney, part of RTX. The Al Ain centre will service the PW1100G-JM engine of the Airbus A320neo family, the PW1500G of the Airbus A220 and the PW1900G of the Embraer E-Jet E2. It will be the first GTF maintenance network member in the South Asia, Middle East and North Africa region.
