Prospects for the aerospace industry in the Sudan
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/WJSTSD-02-2016-0025 |
| Date | 11 July 2016 |
| Published date | 11 July 2016 |
| Pages | 234-248 |
| Author | Adil Ahmed Dafa’Alla |
| Subject Matter | Public policy & environmental management,Environmental technology & innovation |
Prospects for the aerospace
industry in the Sudan
Adil Ahmed Dafa’Alla
Flight Physics CoC, Airbus UK Ltd, Bristol, UK
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to investigate the contribution of the Sudanese manufacturing
sector to the Sudanese economy and assess the role that aerospace industry, in particular, can play as a
driver for achieving sustainable development in the Sudan.
Design/methodology/approach –This paper reviewed and analysed the contribution of the
industrial sector to the Sudanese economy based on the comprehensive industrial survey carried out
with the assistance of United Nations Industrial Development Organisation and United Nations
Development Programme in 2001. It then went on to assess the role that aerospace industry can play in
improving the contribution of this sector to the Sudanese and regional economy and achieving
sustainable development. Evidence from global industrial views, international economic reports and
experience of other countries in similar situation as the Sudan was used to support arguments.
Findings –The Sudanese economy is agriculturally based. A heavy injection of industrialisation of
the economy is essential in order to improve the trade balance and help the country out of the poverty
zone. The aerospace industry is an important ingredient of the required dose as the global and regional
demand is high and the flourishing regional economy is encouraging. The paper argues that building a
flourishing aerospace industry as an important element of sustainable development plan for the Sudan
is a shared responsibility of good government, quality education and well-guided investment.
Practical implications –The paper is proposing a practical way to transform the character of the
Sudanese economy and help it to set on a sustainable development path that will alleviate poverty and
improve the standard of living of its citizens.
Originality/value –The paper gives critical assessment of the role of the industrial sector in driving the
Sudanese economy, which is seriously lacking in the literature. Additionally, the paper introduces building
a flourishing aerospace industry in the Sudan as an important ingredient to boost the manufacturing
sector, hence, improve the economy, fight poverty and a step towards achieving sustainable development.
Keywords Sustainable development, Manufacturing, Aerospace, Sudan, Industry,
National development plan
Paper type Technical paper
1. Introduction
The Sudanese economycan only be categorised as agricultural economy. The industrial
base of the countryis still at its infancy, althoughthe increased discovery, extraction and
economical exploitation of oil have increased the relative importance of this sector.
However, the secession of the southern part of the country in 2011 (see map of Figure 1)
carried away withit almost three quarters of the existingoil fields at the time, which were
designated to the newly formed independent state of South Sudan, rendering this sector
less prominent than it was for the Sudanese economy unless new discoveries and
investment are urgently injected into it. Additionally, recent activities in the petroleum,
motor vehicleand heavy machinery industries havecovered only a small part of the local
World Journal of Science,
Technology and Sustainable
Development
Vol. 13 No. 3, 2016
pp. 234-248
©Emerald Group Publishing Limited
2042-5945
DOI 10.1108/WJSTSD-02-2016-0025
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/2042-5945.htm
The author would like to thank, Ustaz Mustafa Basheer, Assistant Professor at the Gazira
University, for making available his own personal copy of the report on the Comprehensive
Industrial Survey, 2001 (Dissman, 2004), which formed the backbone for the statistical data on
the Sudanese industry used herein.
234
WJSTSD
13,3
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