Kuwait has concluded a contract worth $367 million with Turkish defence firm Baykar to buy its TB2 drones through direct negotiations between the two governments, the Kuwaiti Army said in a statement earlier this week.

The statement did not reveal how many drones would be delivered to Kuwait or when, Reuters reported.

International demand for Baykar’s TB2 drones soared after they featured in conflicts in Syria, Libya and Azerbaijan and interest in them increased further following their use by Ukraine’s military to thwart Russian forces.

The State of Kuwait would be the 28th country in the world to conclude a contract for the Bayraktar TB2 drones.

In September 2022, Daily Sabah reported that Turkish defense firm Baykar has delivered 20 of its pioneering armed drones to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and could sell more.

A Turkish source said Abu Dhabi and Riyadh were negotiating to acquire Bayraktar TB2 Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs) from Ankara. “They decided during the negotiations with the UAE to quickly deliver 20 armed drones,” the source told Reuters, adding they were transferred earlier this month (September 2022).

A separate report earlier this month (September) suggested UAE’s talks with Baykar were focused on a supply of up to 120 Bayraktar drones.

A senior Turkish official then confirmed that Türkiye has delivered some drones and that the UAE was seeking more. Saudi Arabia also wanted to buy armed drones and set up a factory to manufacture them, the official said.

The official said Baykar was considering the Saudi request for a manufacturing plant but said that was a strategic decision for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and that other issues, such as Saudi investments in Türkiye, “are not moving as fast as possible.”