It was intended for the venture to assemble the Westland Lynx helicopter, along with its Rolls-Royce Gem engines, at ABHCO's facility in Helwan, 18 miles south of Cairo, Egypt.
[2] On 29 April 1975, these four nations signed a treaty that established the Arab Organization for Industrialization (AOI), a defense manufacturing interest that based much of its infrastructure, including its headquarters and much of its production facilities, within Egypt.
[3] In parallel with these regional diplomatic developments, Egyptian officials were negotiating multiple industrial and defense-related agreements between both France and Britain.
Following the signing of the Camp David Accords between Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin on 17 September 1978, Egypt was subject to an economic boycott by many of its former Arab partners, who also moved to liquidate jointly held assets.
[3] The company remained active as a manufacturing venture for several years, but accumulated a considerably high level of debt and failed to fulfil licensing payments to Westland.