Rolls-Royce to power Gulf Air in $1.5bn order

Notes and media contacts

Notes:
Rolls-Royce:
1. Rolls-Royce has a growing presence in the Middle East, where it is playing an important role in the development of the region across all the Group's sectors - civil aerospace, defence aerospace, marine and energy.

2. The Trent aero engine family, the world leader in engines for new-generation widebody aircraft, with 50 per cent of the market, has been ordered by many of the region's airlines, primarily Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, Gulf Air and Oman Air. Emirates Airline has 60 Airbus A330 (Trent 700), Airbus A340 (Trent 500) and Boeing 777 (Trent 800) aircraft in service and the airline has ordered 70 new Airbus A350XWB aircraft powered by the Trent XWB.

Etihad Airways has 22 Trent-powered Airbus A330s, 11 Airbus A340 and 25 Airbus 350XWB aircraft on order, or currently in service.

The International Aero Engines V2500 is also operated widely, powering aircraft in the Airbus A320 series. In early 2009, Etihad took delivery of an Airbus A320 aircraft with IAE's new engine standard, the first of four V2500 SelectOne powered aircraft it is due to receive this year.

3. In 2008, Rolls-Royce and the Mubadala Development Company signed an agreement under which Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies (ADAT) to offer a range of services for Rolls-Royce Trent family operators in the region through a new On-Wing Centre. Rolls-Royce aero gas turbines have been maintained in ADAT facilities for more than 20 years.

4. The Group's involvement with Mubadala began in 2005 with a Memorandum of Understanding with Mubadala to explore a number of mutually beneficial opportunities across the Middle East. The relationship between Rolls-Royce and Abu Dhabi began more than 30 years ago with Avon gas turbines which have been used by Abu Dhabi to pump its oil since 1973. Rolls-Royce aero gas turbines have been maintained in Mubadala's wholly-owned Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies facilities for more than 20 years.

5. In the energy sector, the Dolphin gas-pipeline project, in which Mubadala has a 5% share, uses industrial Trent gas turbines to pump gas through 370 kilometres of pipeline from Qatar to the UAE. Rolls-Royce has 400 industrial gas turbines in the region.

6. The Group has more than 1,000 military engines in operation in the region, covering all the defence market sectors, including the Adour, powering Hawk trainers and the T56 on C-130 transport aircraft, as well as numerous helicopter engines.

7. Marine products are in service throughout the commercial and naval sectors. UT Design offshore support vessels are being built for Abu Dhabi.

8. In April 2008, Rolls-Royce signed an MoU with Al Taif Technical Services, which is wholly-owned by Mubadala, under which it will provide service support to Rolls-Royce Distributed Generation Systems.

9. Rolls-Royce is also participating in the Masdar vision to position Abu Dhabi as a world-class research and development hub for new energy technologies. It is being managed by the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (ADFEC), a government-owned organisation wholly-owned by Mubadala Development Company.


For further information, please contact:
Ian Bustin
Head of Communications
Civil Aerospace
Rolls-Royce plc
Tel 44 1332 248288
OR
Mustafa Al-Sheikhly
Account Manager - Four Middle East
Four Communications Group
Office 707, Tower A
Business Central Towers
Dubai Media City
PO Box 502099
Dubai , UAE
T: +971 4 369 3542
F: +971 4 362 5358