MTU Aero Engines' Partner Middle East Propulsion Company Inaugurates New Facility

Dubai, June 6 -- Leading Saudi Arabian maintenance company MEPC today inaugurated a new facility in a move to strengthen its position as a provider of military engine maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services for the whole of the Middle East region.

MTU Aero Engines' partner had two good reasons to celebrate: First, a brand-new, state-of-the-art building worth a two digit million amount, which has now been dedicated to its intended use as planned after 18 months of construction; and second, the inauguration marked a big step forward in the company's expansion plans. The celebrations were attended by MEPC CEO Abdulahad S. Al-Turkistany and MEPC employees, senior representatives of several governmental departments and senior officers from the Royal Saudi Air Force as well Senior Vice President, Defense Programs at MTU, Michael Schreyogg.

The new facility houses a modern, appreciably larger maintenance shop 18.000 square meters in size that offers enough space to accommodate increased staffing levels and higher order volumes, and that allows MEPC to develop and build more sophisticated technical capabilities. Plans are to include additional engines to the company's maintenance portfolio, as, for instance, the T56 powering the C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft or the PT6 powering various helicopters and propeller aircraft operated in Saudi Arabia, plus EJ200 and AGT1500 engine modules.

In MEPC, MTU has a local partner which gives Germany's leading engine manufacturer access to the Middle Eastern market; in turn, the Saudi shop benefits from the German propulsion system know-how and highly advanced MRO capabilities. With this local investment MTU shows its engagement to built premium jobs for the Eurofighter program in Saudi Arabia.

MEPC's aim is to become the preferred military engine MRO provider in the Middle East. Middle East Propulsion Company is based near Saudi Arabia's capital of Riyadh and is the only military engine MRO company in the Middle East. Currently, it has a workforce of 85 employees and an annual sales vol-ume of some $50m.

MEPC is a joint-venture partnership of Pratt & Whitney's parent company United Technologies (UTC), Saudi Arabian Airlines and other shareholders, with MTU holding a stake of 19 percent. MEPC's prime customer at the moment is the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF), which sends its Pratt & Whitney F100-220 engines and the RB199s powering its Tornado jets to the MRO shop.