PIF unit explores building drone boats with Turkey

Saudi Arabian Military Industries (Sami), wholly owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, has signed a deal with Turkish company ULAQ Global Autonomous Systems to jointly develop unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) in the kingdom. 

The USVs, or drone boats, operate without a human crew onboard. They are used for a wide range of tasks, including hydrographic surveys, environmental monitoring and naval operations. 

The deal aims to prioritise joint development, technology transfer and domestic production of USVs in Saudi Arabia, Kerem Kalafatoglu, a member of the board of directors at ULAQ Global Autonomous Systems, told the state-owned Anadolu news agency.

“This initiative will offer us the opportunity to generate sustainable profits,” he said, adding that the company is targeting exports to Europe and the US.

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In August 2023, Sami signed an agreement with Turkish defence company Baykar Tech to localise drone manufacturing in the country.

Saudi Arabia was the fifth-largest military spender in the world in 2022, at an estimated $75 billion.

This was up 16 percent from 2021 and represents 7.4 percent of GDP – the second-highest military outlay in the world, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.