RIYADH — Under the patronage of Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman, a number of Saudi and Turkish companies have signed an agreement and two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) to localize the drone industry and associated systems in Saudi Arabia. The agreement and the MoU between the Saudi companies specialized in military and defense manufacturing, and Turkish defense companies come as a continuation of two acquisition contracts signed by the Saudi Ministry of Defense two weeks ago with Türkiye's Baykar for defense industries to raise the readiness of the armed forces and enhance Saudi Arabia's defense and manufacturing capabilities. The Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) has also signed, during the ceremony, a localization agreement for the group's companies with Türkiye's Baykar, to manufacture electronic systems, mechanical components, and drone structures using composite materials, manufacturing, final aviation testing, in addition to providing training and support services. The agreement was signed by SAMI's CEO, Eng. Waleed bin Abdulmajeed Abu Khaled, and the CEO of Baykar, Haluk Bayraktar. Additionally, the Saudi National Company for Mechanical Systems (NCMS) signed two MoUs with the Turkish companies of Roketsan and Aselsan, to localize the manufacture of ammunition and optical sensors for the drone system, and manufacture them inside the Kingdom. The MoUs were signed by MCMS's CEO, Eng Ali Abdulla Alashban, and the CEO of Aselsan Ahmet Akyol and the CEO of and Roketsan Murat Ikinci. On his part, Assistant Minister of Defence for Executive Affairs Dr. Khalid bin Hussein Al-Bayari appreciated the patronage by the Minister of Defense of the signing ceremony, which reflects the interest and support of the wise leadership of the Kingdom in localizing military industries and strengthening manufacturing and defense capabilities within Saudi Arabia. The localization agreementand the MoUs reflect efforts made by the Defense Ministry in cooperation with the General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI) as the legislative authority for the military industry sector, and the General Authority for Defense Development (GADD), which is concerned with defining the goals and activities of research, development and innovation in the fields of technology and defense systems, in a way that contributes to achieving the goals of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 by localizing more than 50% of the total military spending, Dr. Al-Bayari said. Dr. Al-Bayari noted that the agreement and the MoUs will contribute in developing the localization capabilities in Saudi Arabia through transfer of technology and knowledge, and training the Saudi cadres, which will enhance the local capabilities and create job opportunities for the Saudi youth. Haluk Görgün, President of the Defense Industry Agency of Türkiye, has stated that the agreement and the two MoUs reflects the historical relations between Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, which was strengthened by ties of strategic partnerships in the military and defense fields. SAMI's CEO, Eng. Abu Khaled said the signing of the agreement and the MoUs confirm the support and care of Saudi Arabia's leadership to localize the defense industries, and to continue the process of achieving the goals of the Kingdom's Vision 2030. It is also considered a huge step for SAMI to become one of the top 25 companies in this sector at the global level.
