DUBAI—UAE-based engine maintenance provider Sanad has publicly unveiled its Leap Engine MRO Center in Abu Dhabi, which is the first facility in the Middle East region to service CFM International Leap 1A and 1B platforms.

Establishment of the facility follows the announcement of an agreement with GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines in June at the Paris Air Show. The 11-year arrangement significantly expands Sanad’s MRO services as narrowbody utilization in the region continues to increase.

Sanad Group CEO and Managing Director Mansoor Janahi told Aviation Week in September that the 5,000-m² (54,000-ft.²) center has “substantially increased the operational capacity” of its workshop, giving it capability to service up to 200 engines annually. The new facility has already completed MRO services for a Leap 1B engine operated by flydubai.

Aviation Week’s 2023 Commercial Fleet and MRO Forecast shows 426 Leap engines in service with operators in the Middle East region, which will grow to nearly 2,000 by 2032. The Leap engine family is expected to generate $106.8 billion in MRO spending over the next decade.

In addition to supporting ramp-up for growing Leap demand, the center will also provide sustainability benefits in the Middle East region.

“Having an MRO center in the UAE is a significant step towards making our operations more sustainable,” flydubai Chief Operating Office Mick Hills says. “It provides us with in-country solutions, reducing the need to send engines overseas for maintenance, which aligns with our commitment to operational efficiency.”