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We will continue to evolve this portfolioThis year they are same 44 more than our neighborsThis tactic is also challenged in the democratic clanDespite their consumerism these attacks workexcluding its network exclusively Internet vendorsBut all of these reasons remain shorttermSo the success of his entrepreneurial projectas a Grand Paris stretching to harbour projectsThe Government digests including not the 1 This inscription is the work of Ernest tIn EADS festive atmosphere: in pole position since the beginning of the year, the European aerospace group is of the very political and very rosy contract securing the borders of Saudi Arabia, also known as "Saudi Border Guard Development Program". The agreement, concluded Tuesday, was announced yesterday, after information on the website of "Point". "It is the most important contract of this kind ever found in the world", welcomes EADS. The amount of the transaction would be between 1.5 and 2 billion euros. After the Qatar, the Romania, or even the United Arab Emirates, the European group can boast a new reference to mark the very closed market of national security. Conversely, it is a real affront to Thales and Paris although a part of the work will return to France.
Long known by the acronym of "miksa", this project is to develop in five years the 9,000 kilometres of borders, sea and land of the Kingdom of an electronic surveillance system, large reinforcements of radars, telecom networks, and cameras still. Initiated after the first Gulf war, he escaped from very little to Thales in the early 2000s. After several years of negotiation by mutual agreement between the France and Saudi Arabia, the wars of influence between the Elysee Palace and the Ministry of the Interior then led by Nicolas Sarkozy are indeed the case on the wire. "When I think that it was poised to sign!" still regrets a leader of Thales.
Riyadh where power struggles were also counted then freezes the case for the relaunch in 2005. But this time tender process. At each capital interested to support its champion: it will be for the France Thales, EADS in Berlin, Raytheon Washington, BAE Systems for London, or Finmeccanica for Rome. Not to mention Russian and Chinese. The procedure follows its course, and eventually reach a list of three finalists in 2008: EADS, Thales, and Raytheon. And only one, the champion of the Germany earlier this year.
This is that, in the meantime, EADS has very well played. First debauching the representative of Thales in Saudi Arabia. "They have let their motherboard", explains a good connoisseur of the folder that points to a "major error." Then, by constructing an offer much cheaper than its two competitors. Example: when Thales proposes to train the Saudi guards, EADS suggested that training of trainers. From this point of view, the case reminds one of automatic subway in Dubai where Mitsubishi, yet little present on this niche, was capped at post Siemens and Alstom in compressing prices up.
At the time, in the eyes of Riyadh, the proposal of the parent company of Airbus has a double merit: it is the lowest financially, and the least costly politically. Retaining the group sponsored by Berlin, the Kingdom is angry neither Washington nor Paris. Finally, a third element has played since local construction group Rashid had already been selected for monitoring the northern border, with EADS as a subcontractor. Again choosing the European Group facilitates the achievement of all.
The matter should not stop there. Because in Riyadh, it plans to equip the border guards helicopter, coastal vessels or jeeps, which should be well linked to the monitoring system. For EADS, which should have hundreds of engineers on-site term, it is the promise of other developments, beyond five years of the contract signed Tuesday.
