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PIF defense manufacturing champion Sami has inked three localization agreements with Turkey: Saudi Arabian Military Industries (Sami) has inked MoUs with three Turkish defense firms aimed at the localization of defense industries, the PIF company said in a LinkedIn post. a Sami is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund (PIF).
Drone manufacturing facility: Sami said it signed an that will see Istanbul-based drone manufacturer Baykar “establish manufacturing capabilities” and develop systems for the Turkish firm’s unmanned aerial vehicles in Saudi. Baykar will develop the necessary technology and transfer intellectual property to the Kingdom, it said, without providing additional details.
Electronic warfare and space: A second MoU will see Sami and Ankara-based defense corporation Aselsan “explore opportunities” for the transfer, localization, and development of electronic warfare technologies here. Sami also signed an MoU with Turkish tech player Fergani Space to establish a “center of excellence” to locally develop emerging technologies to serve the global space sector.
It’s been a busy year for the defense industry: Some 61 contracts worth SAR 26 bn were signed at the World Defense Show in Riyadh in February. This is up from SAR 21 bn worth of purchase agreements signed in 2022. The event saw Sami signing multiple agreements or MoU with leading global defense firms, including US arms maker Lockheed Martin and others.
REMEMBER- The Kingdom has a target of localizing over 50% of its military equipment spending by 2030.
