As of the 18th of November 2025, Emirates and Safran Seats have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). With this partnership, a manufacturing and seat assembly facility will be established in Dubai.
A Strategic Move Addresses Growing Demands
An increase in demand for aircraft seat manufacturing has led to a unique industrial cooperation between Emirates and Safran Seats. Safran have collaborated with Emirates’ fleet refurbishment efforts, and supplied Emirates with premium seating for it’s retrofit programme and new A350 fleet.
Whilst plans will initially focus on Business and Economy Class seats, this will be expanded upon in the future. Additionally, the introduction of this new state-of-the-art facility is the first step towards a broader aerospace manufacturing cluster, bringing capacity that better serves the customers of both Emirates and Safran Seats.
His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group have spoken on the partnership and provided deeper insight into the scheme:
“We’re bringing world-class seat production capabilities and supply chain to our doorstep, creating highly skilled jobs, and developing capabilities to support Emirates and produce seats for export to other carriers. The partnership will directly support our retrofit programme and the evolution of our onboard cabin interior requirements.”
The Hopes for this Initiative
With approximately 20,000-25,000 Square Metres of industrial footprint, the facility is hoped to be completed by Q4 2027. This will be completed in a phased approach, and the initial assembly will consist of up to 1,000 Business Class seats per year.
Whilst more information is yet to be revealed, the CEO of Safran, Olivier Andriès, has commented,
“This initiative not only reinforces our shared commitment to operational excellence but also aligns with our industrial strategy as we adapt and prepare our business to support the current and future worldwide market ramp-up. We keep shaping the future of the aviation industry with innovation and resilience for the next generation of aircraft seating.”
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