Al Bannai Presents Emirati-Built Drone Systems and Satellite-Imagery AI at Government Meetings

Al Bannai spoke on Tuesday at a session titled "Making Power: National Strategic Industries" at the UAE Government Annual Meetings 2026. Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, chairperson of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, attended. He said owning sovereign technical capabilities and relying more on systems developed inside the country would reduce dependence on imported ones. WAM's account did not name the satellite system, its developer or its users.

He also gave the development of drone subsystems as an example of what Emirati engineers can do. Because local teams understand the components and how they work, he said, they can adapt the systems to different missions and keep improving them throughout their service life.

Al Bannai said direct cooperation between the armed forces and national industrial teams had sped up development. Emirati engineers and technicians install and operate the systems, follow their performance in the field and use feedback from users to improve them. Several of the engineers who worked on the systems he described joined him on stage.

He called for design and development projects to keep going to Emirati teams. That work should cover the whole cycle, he said, from defining requirements through design, manufacturing and operation to monitoring and upgrades, so that it keeps pace with the needs of the armed forces.

Al Bannai said the UAE's readiness and speed in responding to challenges came from the leadership's long-term vision and from years of planning and continuous investment. He founded the state defence group EDGE before taking up his current role.