EDGE Group and the São Paulo State Government Sign Comprehensive Partnership Agreement

Major programme covers collaboration across several sectors, and incudes the official launch of a major public security project in São Paulo

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates / São Paulo, Brazil, 3 May, 2024: EDGE Group, one of the world’s leading advanced technology and defence groups, continues to reinforce its commitment as a valued partner to the strategically important Brazilian market by joining forces with the São Paulo State Government on a comprehensive partnership which will see both parties collaborate across several sectors in São Paulo.

The Term of Opening of a project for the establishment of an Agreement and Work Plan was signed by the Secretary of Public Security of São Paulo, Guilherme Muraro Derrite, and Hamad Al Marar, Managing Director & CEO of EDGE Group. An important element of this agreement included a further signing of a collaboration on major public security projects involving technology. The signing was witnessed by His Excellency the Governor of the State of São Paulo, Tarcísio Gomes de Freitas, and His Excellency the Ambassador of the UAE to Brazil, Saleh Ahmad Salem Alzaraim Alsuwaidi.

This follows on from the original announcement by EDGE in January 2024 which indicated the group’s intention to pursue the initiative with an original ‘Proof of Concept’ (PoC) phase with the aim of demonstrating how its innovative solutions could result in increased public safety and security, reduce crime, and ultimately improve quality of life for the community.

Commenting on the occasion, Secretary Derrite said: "This partnership is a testament to the power of collaboration and innovation among security challenges. It is a collaboration that can bring direct benefits to the state's public security."

Hamad Al Marar, Managing Director & CEO of EDGE Group, said: “There are two major achievements here that must be highlighted. First, the strengthening of the valuable partnership EDGE has forged with the Government of São Paulo, and also across several sectors in Brazil, encompassing local government, civil society, and the armed forces – all of which are based on the preservation of security and safety. By sharing our knowledge and experience, and by providing the most sophisticated anti-crime surveillance services to major cities such as São Paulo, we can ensure that local communities and businesses can be confident in a more sustainable and secure future.

“Secondly, the signing of the agreement has enabled us to clearly demonstrate how EDGE can utilise its technologically advanced capabilities to provide assistance to the city of São Paulo for public security including CCTV, AI, advanced surveillance and reconnaissance, and airborne solutions including intelligent drones, among other innovative, cross-complementary solutions available in EDGE’s large portfolio of services and products.”

The groundbreaking project is the first of its kind in Latin America and will be used as a pilot for future initiatives in several districts across São Paulo and other metropolitan areas in Brazil.