The contract is expected to bear profit of $260 million for its full duration DUBAI: Honeywell has appointed Saudia Aerospace Engineering Industries (SAEI) to be the first authorized Honeywell service center in the Middle East with a global license, the companies announced on Sunday. The 10-year agreement sets out SAEI to provide inspection, repair, overhaul, and upgrades for the 131-9 APU models from its facility in Jeddah. Owners and operators of these aircrafts can now repair their units locally in the region, instead of sending them to facilities outside of the Middle East. The contract is expected to bear profit of $260 million for its full duration, and the facility is expected to hire around 350 engineers, SAEI CEO Fahd Cynndy said during a press conference at the Dubai Airshow. SAEI will utilize a new $850-million facility, he said, which would be able to receive 300 engines and 500 APUs per year. Saudia Director General Ibrahim Alomar hailed the agreement saying it will enable “easier and faster access to repair and overhaul of APUs in the region.” SAEI began working with Honeywell in 2013, and has since completed the repair of 100 APUs. The deal builds on this milestone, highlighting the Kingdom’s wider push to localized key industries, including aerospace.