EADS To Modernize Saudi Border Security
Paris - A June 30 signing as prime contractor for a large Saudi Arabian national border surveillance program positions EADS as a world-class player in the security market, marking progress toward the rebalancing of revenues under the group's Vision 2020 business strategy, said Hervé Guillou, chief executive of EADS Defense & Communications.
Guillou declined to confirm the estimated 1.5 billion to 1.6 billion euro ($2.1 billion-$2.2 billion) value of the Saudi contract.
"This is a step in the modernization of the Saudi Border Guard," he said. "This is the largest contract ever in this domain."
EADS beat Raytheon and Thales for the contract, which will run for five years and provide the Saudi Interior Ministry with a common operational picture of 9,000 kilometers of land and sea borders. Its offer was differentiated by a high level of investment in security, evidenced by a list of wins in the United Kingdom, Romania and Qatar and a subcontract for surveillance on the Saudi northern border. The Al Rashid group will provide civil engineering work, Guillou said.
EADS set up a Middle East office in Abu Dhabi to show its commitment as a local presence in the region, rather than run operations from Europe, he said.
Operating as a pan-European group allowed EADS to draw on skills developed on national contracts. EADS also showed it made a big effort in getting economical bids among suppliers, he said.
The border infrastructure will include watchtowers, with radar, cameras and communications, allowing data fusion at the local, regional and national level. German border guards will train the trainers among Saudi border guards.
Further contracts are expected for helicopters, land vehicles and boats, as well as C4I equipment, to complement the surveillance system, Guillou said.
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