DIMDEX 2026 — Qatari defense firm Barzan Holdings will team up with Emirate conglomerate EDGE Group to form a first-of-its-kind defense firm between the two countries focused on developing defense platforms and technologies.
“This joint venture with Barzan Holdings shows the importance EDGE places on trusted partnerships as we expand internationally. It establishes a framework to identify capability gaps across both portfolios and to jointly develop solutions,” EDGE Group CEO Hamad Al Marar told Breaking Defense at the DIMDEX naval expo here in Qatar.
He specified that the two firms will be working closely on a wide range of platforms including “missiles, unmanned systems, satellites [and] other critical capability areas.”
Al Marar did not disclose specific details on the location, size or features of the joint venture.
EDGE Group is exhibiting at DIMDEX for the first time, showcasing models for its unmanned aerial systems, loitering munitions and maritime platforms such as vessels and USVs.
Albert Vidal, a research analyst for the London-based thinktank IISS, told Breaking Defense that the joint venture could be for codeveloping and coproducing small arms and ammunition.
“Another possibility is collaboration on maintenance, repair and overhaul through EDGE’s Al Taif and Barzan Maintenance Shield. The JV could also extend to co-production of loitering munitions, drawing on EDGE’s ADASI or unmanned ground vehicles leveraging EDGE’s Milrem Robotics and Barzan’s RBAT [Rheinmetal Barzan Advanced Technologies] portfolios,” he added.
“Given EDGE’s broader portfolio and more mature technologies, it is likely to act as the primary provider of technology and know-how in this partnership,” Vidal said.
Qatar’s Barzan Holdings has extensively displayed its defense platforms at DIMDEX since the company’s inception 10 years ago. It has since cooperated with a large number of firms, such as vehicle and defense manufacturer Rheinmetall, aerospace firm Aeralis, and space firm Spin Launch.
In a 2024 interview with Barzan Deputy CEO Mohammad Al Marri, he told Breaking Defense that the company is focused on three main pillars to build up national defense capabilities in Qatar: strategic procurement, investment in defense technology, and research and development capabilities.