07 August 2023; MEMO: Saudi Arabia has signed an agreement with key Turkish defence firm Baykar Tech to help the kingdom localise the manufacturing of drones, in the latest deal signifying the improved relations between Riyadh and Ankara.
In a post on the platform X, formerly Twitter, the state-owned Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) yesterday announced "the signing of a strategic localisation agreement with Baykar Tech, to localise the manufacturing of the 'Bayraktar Akıncı' UAVs and their systems within the Kingdom."
It added that the agreement, which was signed under the patronage of Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz, "will enhance SAMI's role in supporting the national defence industry and strengthening our local capabilities."
The deal comes only weeks after landmark contracts were signed between the Saudi Defence Ministry and Baykar, which enabled the kingdom to acquire the Turkish drones in order to bolster its aerial capabilities and enhance the readiness of its armed forces.
It was dubbed by Baykar's CEO, Haluk Bayraktar, as "the biggest defence and aviation export contract in the history of the Republic of Turkiye."
While those contracts were focused on the acquisition of the UAVs, this latest agreement will supposedly enable the Gulf kingdom to produce them itself in partnership with Baykar, giving a new edge to Saudi defence capabilities.
Formerly regional rivals throughout the past decade, Riyadh and Ankara have repaired their fragile relations over the last two years, with Turkiye managing to secure billions of dollars in Saudi deposits and investment in an effort to boost its foreign reserves, and now offering its enhanced defence capabilities that the kingdom has long sought in return.
