The Ministry of Defense of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in the presence of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and President of the Republic of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has signed an executive plan for defence cooperation with the Turkish Ministry of National Defense, as well as two acquisition contracts with Turkish defence firm “Baykar”.
The signing ceremony, attended by the Saudi Minister of Defense, Prince Khaled Bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, and the Turkish Minister of National Defense, Yaşar Güler, signifies the mutual commitment to strengthening ties between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Turkiye, particularly in the fields of military and defence cooperation, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
The executive plan aims to promote collaboration between the Defense Ministries of both countries in various areas, such as defence capabilities, industries, research and development, production, and the exchange of experiences. It also emphasizes bilateral cooperation in joint projects to transfer and localize technologies, support defense industries, and foster collaboration in research and development.
The Saudi Ministry of Defense has signed two acquisition contracts with Turkish defense firm Baykar in line with these objectives. These contracts, represented by Assistant Minister of Defense for Executive Affairs Khaled bin Hussein Al-Biyari and CEO of Baykar Haluk Bayraktar (photo), will enable the Saudi Ministry to procure a number of drones. The primary aim of these contracts is to enhance the preparedness of the Armed Forces and strengthen the Kingdom's defense capabilities and industries.
The acquisition contracts also prioritize the localization of the drone industry and its constituent systems within the Kingdom. National companies specializing in military and defense industries will actively participate in this localization effort. Additionally, the contracts encompass provisions for training, support services, technology and knowledge transfer, and the development of local capabilities. These endeavors are expected to create job opportunities for Saudi youth, enhance local capacities, and contribute to the Kingdom’s vision of localizing over 50 percent of total military spending by 2030.
The executive plan for defense cooperation and the two acquisition contracts underscore the strong support of the Kingdom's leadership for the Ministry of Defense. They also reflect the ambitious plans to localize the military industries and strengthen the Kingdom's defense capabilities.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan has led the Turkish delegation that has landed in Saudi Arabia to strengthen ties with the regional leader. Around 200 businessmen, investors and owners of companies of various sizes accompanied the Turkish President on what was the first stage of a tour that will take Erdogan to the three Gulf States (Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar).
Over the past two decades, the volume of trade between Turkey and these three countries has grown from $1.6 billion to $22 billion.
Erdogan’s arrival to the Kingdom on Monday evening was followed by meetings with Saudi Ministers and officials, after which he was able to discuss with the Crown Prince a series of agreements in the energy, defense, research and development sectors, among others, which the two leaders initialed shortly afterwards.
