UAE’s EDGE Group inks $2.5 billion deal with Kuwait for naval vessels
Kuwait said the deal “will contribute to raising the level of combat readiness, enhancing maritime security, and protecting the vital and strategic maritime interests of the State of Kuwait.”
A screengrab from a YouTube video posted by EDGE Group showing the first Falaj-3 vessel launched on Jan. 14, 2025. (YouTube)
BEIRUT — The United Arab Emirate defense conglomerate EDGE Group has signed a $2.45 billion deal with the Kuwaiti government to provide it with eight naval patrol vessels in what the company said is its biggest deal ever in the Middle East.
The contract includes design and construction of the 62-meter FALAJ-3 vessels, as well as sea trials, delivery, logistics and in-service support, according to the firm’s statement today.
“This agreement with Kuwait is hugely significant both in scale and strategic importance. It deepens long-term defence ties between our nations, brings a proven class of advanced vessels into regional service, and reinforces EDGE’s position as a trusted international partner,” said EDGE Group’s CEO Hamad Al Marar in the statement.
He added that as the firm enters “a new phase of export-led growth, this programme marks a clear signal of global confidence in what EDGE can deliver.”
On X, Kuwaiti armed forces disclosed that the deal involves eight ships, saying they “will contribute to raising the level of combat readiness, enhancing maritime security, and protecting the vital and strategic maritime interests of the State of Kuwait.”
EDGE advertises the FALAJ-3 as capable of “operating in both littoral and blue waters,” and says it can carry a “plethora of weapons, including missiles, rockets and medium-calibre guns — providing
ample resources to defend itself from potential threats originating from any direction.
FALAJ-3 were earlier contracted by the UAE navy, and in January this year the first vessel was launched at ADSB shipyard.
Kuwait and UAE are both members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and are both located on the periphery of the Arabian Gulf, sharing similar maritime threats.
“This is not the first interaction between EDGE and Kuwait,” Albert Vidal, a research analyst for the London-based think tank IISS told Breaking Defense. “EDGE subsidiary Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB) already delivered eight landing craft about a decade ago. And last year, EDGE signed a contract to deliver MRO to the Kuwaiti coast guard and train its personnel.”
According to the new contract, EDGE is the prime contractor, and ADSB is the build subcontractor of the program.
Vidal said, “The fact that EDGE will lead the full programme delivery, and not ADSB suggests that other EDGE entities will be involved in the programme, perhaps by contributing UAVs, radars, and other weapons systems.” More than 25 defense firms under many disciplines are under the EDGE umbrella.
