“In the UAE, the growth of EDGE has been catalysed by a strategy that begins with reaching back into the education system to academically prepare Emiratis to feed potential employees into the defence sector. That model is imitable if Saudi chose to go that route, but it’s not instantaneous… Of interest, looking at academic statistics in Saudi Arabia, should that happen, the majority of those future employees would be female.”
–Kirsten Fontenrose, Middle East security director at the Atlantic Council, commenting on Saudi Arabia’s plan to substantially grow its domestic weapons industry. [Middle East Eye]
