Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala starts making masks in plane parts factory

LONDON: An Abu Dhabi factory that usually produces plane parts is now being used to make masks in the latest example of a major manufacturer changing tack in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mubadala unit Strata Manufacturing and Honeywell will produce as many as 30 million masks annually, the pair said in a statement on Tueday.
“We will be able to deliver critical support to frontline health care workers and members of the wider community,” said Mubadala CEO Khaldoon Khalifa Al-Mubarak. “This new manufacturing capability will help address the critical demand for N95 respirators, and bolster the resilience of UAE’s personal protective (PPE) equipment supply chains.”
Global manufacturing giants are re-purposing their assembly lines to meet a global shortage of PPE equipment needed to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus and protect front line health care workers.
At the same time, the interruption of global supply chains from automotive manufacturing to plane making has exposed the fragility of globalized supply chains and led to a rethink of the manufacturing process.
The new N95 respirator manufacturing line based at the Al Ain Strata factory will be the first of its kind in the GCC region, Mubadala said.
Currently, the UAE imports all N95 respirators from abroad. The new facility will meet the national requirements of the country while also fulfilling export orders.
Strata was established in 2009 with production starting a year later and supplying plane makers including Boeing and Airbus.

Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala starts making masks in plane parts factory