Saudi Arabia inks Turkish defense deals to accelerate localization of land systems
JEDDAH: Saudi Arabian Military Industries has signed technology transfer-focused agreements with three leading Turkish defense firms to accelerate the localization of advanced land systems manufacturing in the Kingdom.
The Public Investment Fund-owned group signed the deals with Nurol Makina, FNSS, and Aselsan under the patronage and presence of Khalid bin Hussein Al-Biyari, assistant minister of defense for executive affairs; Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Al-Ohali, governor of the General Authority for Military Industries; and Haluk Gorgun, president of Turkiye’s Defense Industries Agency, according to a statement.
Driven by Vision 2030 goals, the Kingdom is pursuing defense self-sufficiency to reduce reliance on imports. At the forefront of this transformation is SAMI, established in 2017, with a mandate to localize 50 percent of the country’s defense spending by the end of the decade through strategic partnerships and joint ventures with leading global manufacturers.
“The agreements were signed by Mohammed bin Saud Al-Hodaib, executive vice president of SAMI Land. Each of the recently signed agreements varies in scope and purpose, with the ultimate goal of localizing SAMI Land’s capabilities.” SAMI said.
