The SC
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- Feb 13, 2012
- Messages
- 32,233
- Reaction score
- 21
- Country
- Location
Localizing the military industry reflects the desire to overcome security, economic and human rights challenges.
2021/02/23
Military industry carrying regional and international political messages
Saudi Arabia has sought to establish a local defense industrial base for decades, but over the last five years these efforts have become more serious due to the changing geostrategic context and local transformation. The turbulent security situation in the Middle East and the expansion of some hostile parties wishing to expand influence imposed the need for a more active role in this regard, and local production supports the economy and relieves Riyadh of the pressures of human rights organizations.
Maintaining national security for Saudi Arabia in light of a highly complex regional situation, in which Iran plays provocative roles in the Middle East, is one of the most important priorities for the Gulf country, which is well aware that betting on establishing a solid defense industry base will achieve various objectives of strategic dimensions.
For a country like Saudi Arabia, which has an important weight in the region, the military industry is considered a double option, because it does not need to diversify armament completely, but rather to manufacture weapons similar to the Western ones, in addition to that it opens the way for joint projects with Eastern and Western manufacturers alike.
This was clearly evident during the IDEX 2021 defense exhibition in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi, where Saudi companies announced new deals to localize the military industry, with the disclosure of the amount of funds allocated by the government for the next decade within the “Vision 2030”.
Strategic goals
Political observers believe that any local production of weapons and ammunition necessary for any future wars will ease the pressure on the Saudis of human rights organizations, which are being placed on them to achieve gains for those who hide behind them under the pretext of defending human rights.
And the steps that Saudi Arabia is taking today are not born in the moment. In 1953, the late King Saud bin Abdulaziz inaugurated the first ammunition factory in Al-Kharj near the capital Riyadh, which was built by a French company. "Establishing this factory is only the first step," he said when inaugurating it. More steps will be taken to raise the level of our army and avoid the necessity to import weapons.
In the aftermath, many facilities and factories were opened, which included the production of weapons, bombs and ammunition to reach another stage with the arrival of King Salman bin Abdulaziz, within a short-term strategy initially extending for ten years, provided that a feasible industrial base in this sector would be built.
Vision 2030, launched in April 2016, was not limited to social reforms, but extended to approving investment plans to bypass the stage of absolute dependence on oil to develop the Saudi industry in wider and larger areas, including the defense system and the arms industry, which are the areas that made Saudi Arabia more severe. Linking with the West is one of the most important areas of spending.
Observers confirm that these perceptions were clearly expressed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman by asking him in an interview with Bloomberg in November 2018 when he said, "Is it possible that we are the third largest country in military spending and do not have a military industry?"
Regardless of Saudi Arabia’s tendency to reduce international restrictions on it in relation to the supply of weapons, especially with the emergence of indications of this after the arrival of a new American administration, it is determined to focus a local war industry through partnerships and agreements with international companies to develop the war industries on its territory.
It seems that this policy was not dictated by developments in the past few years. Rather, it was a product of the Saudi leadership's awareness of the country's existence in a hostile environment that requires armaments to ward off all the dangers of regional developments in the region, such as the spread of terrorist groups or the threat of Iran that has lurked in the region and has been permeated for years in the policies of some Arab countries, such as Syria, Iraq and Yemen.
The Iranian expansion plans in the Middle East raise the concerns of Saudi Arabia, which demands curbing Tehran, especially with regard to its nuclear file and its ballistic missiles, so Riyadh seeks, behind its domestic military programs, to protect its territories and counter the increasing Houthi attacks.
Not only that, but the plan has a double objective, as it will support the employment path of the defense industry for the benefit of thousands of Saudis, which stimulates Riyadh to continue supporting military manufacturing companies and other local companies, to ensure their ability to grow and provide more job opportunities.
Insistence to overcome obstacles
Although Saudi Arabia is not close to self-sufficiency, like the allies of the United States from the more advanced countries that remain dependent on Washington in the field of technology and military knowledge, it is trying to benefit from strategic partnerships with the largest military industry companies on both sides of the Atlantic in order to learn from the best.
The Gulf country, which for years has been heavily dependent on arms imports from the United States, Britain and Germany and is the world's third largest spender on the defense sector, has worked to develop its domestic defense industry through a plan aimed at directing half of its military spending to domestic sources. And he shows great determination to overcome all obstacles, however difficult they may be.
The governor of the General Authority for Military Industries in Saudi Arabia (Sami), Ahmed Al-Ohali, revealed last Saturday, during the current edition of IDEX that his country will invest more than 20 billion dollars in its military industry during the next decade, including research and development, with an increase in spending on military research and development from 0.2 per cent. One to about four percent of spending on armaments by 2030.
In a move against the will of President Joe Biden's administration, the Saudi Military Industries Corporation, which was founded by the sovereign wealth fund in 2017, signed an agreement last Sunday with the US company Lockheed Martin to establish a joint company, at a time when Washington said it was reviewing arms sales to Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia is a major global importer of weapons, but some Western countries are now refusing to sell weapons to Saudi Arabia due to its role in the conflict in Yemen, the country suffering the world's worst humanitarian crisis, according to the United Nations. Earlier this month, the Biden administration announced that it would end support for Saudi offensive operations in the Yemen war.
But the Vice President of Lockheed Martin, Timothy Cahill, confirmed that the agreement represents an "important cornerstone" in his company's relationship with the Saudi company and is part of the strategy to provide accredited defense and security solutions .
In the midst of this, Saudi Arabia has not lost the opportunity to develop relations with its regional allies, especially the Gulf, the first of which is the United Arab Emirates, as they form a strategic alliance in the face of foreign interference, and they share in many areas that make them devote the principle of integration.
Therefore, the Saudi Arabian Sami Company, on Monday, signed a joint cooperation agreement with the Emirati Nimer Company, a subsidiary of the Edge Group, to supply Saudi Arabia with its need of armored vehicles. It is the first agreement between Saudi companies and their Emirati counterparts in the military industries sector.
Walid Abu Khaled, CEO of Sami, says that the company aims to achieve annual revenues of $ 5 billion by 2030, as part of an effort to manufacture more military equipment inside the country.
The Saudis are working to transfer technology to this industry. Last December, the Saudi Arabian Military Industries acquired the Advanced Electronics Company, thus becoming a 100 percent Saudi company. It is the largest private sector defense deal in the country.
In April of last year, the Saudi Military Industries Authority launched the work of a project to develop, manufacture and maintain unmanned aircraft systems in cooperation with the Saudi company Intra Defense Technologies.
https://alarab.co.uk/التصنيع-الدفاعي-رهان-سعودي-بأبعاد-جيواستراتيجية
2021/02/23
Military industry carrying regional and international political messages
Saudi Arabia has sought to establish a local defense industrial base for decades, but over the last five years these efforts have become more serious due to the changing geostrategic context and local transformation. The turbulent security situation in the Middle East and the expansion of some hostile parties wishing to expand influence imposed the need for a more active role in this regard, and local production supports the economy and relieves Riyadh of the pressures of human rights organizations.
Maintaining national security for Saudi Arabia in light of a highly complex regional situation, in which Iran plays provocative roles in the Middle East, is one of the most important priorities for the Gulf country, which is well aware that betting on establishing a solid defense industry base will achieve various objectives of strategic dimensions.
For a country like Saudi Arabia, which has an important weight in the region, the military industry is considered a double option, because it does not need to diversify armament completely, but rather to manufacture weapons similar to the Western ones, in addition to that it opens the way for joint projects with Eastern and Western manufacturers alike.
This was clearly evident during the IDEX 2021 defense exhibition in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi, where Saudi companies announced new deals to localize the military industry, with the disclosure of the amount of funds allocated by the government for the next decade within the “Vision 2030”.
Strategic goals
Political observers believe that any local production of weapons and ammunition necessary for any future wars will ease the pressure on the Saudis of human rights organizations, which are being placed on them to achieve gains for those who hide behind them under the pretext of defending human rights.
And the steps that Saudi Arabia is taking today are not born in the moment. In 1953, the late King Saud bin Abdulaziz inaugurated the first ammunition factory in Al-Kharj near the capital Riyadh, which was built by a French company. "Establishing this factory is only the first step," he said when inaugurating it. More steps will be taken to raise the level of our army and avoid the necessity to import weapons.
In the aftermath, many facilities and factories were opened, which included the production of weapons, bombs and ammunition to reach another stage with the arrival of King Salman bin Abdulaziz, within a short-term strategy initially extending for ten years, provided that a feasible industrial base in this sector would be built.
Vision 2030, launched in April 2016, was not limited to social reforms, but extended to approving investment plans to bypass the stage of absolute dependence on oil to develop the Saudi industry in wider and larger areas, including the defense system and the arms industry, which are the areas that made Saudi Arabia more severe. Linking with the West is one of the most important areas of spending.
Observers confirm that these perceptions were clearly expressed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman by asking him in an interview with Bloomberg in November 2018 when he said, "Is it possible that we are the third largest country in military spending and do not have a military industry?"
Regardless of Saudi Arabia’s tendency to reduce international restrictions on it in relation to the supply of weapons, especially with the emergence of indications of this after the arrival of a new American administration, it is determined to focus a local war industry through partnerships and agreements with international companies to develop the war industries on its territory.
It seems that this policy was not dictated by developments in the past few years. Rather, it was a product of the Saudi leadership's awareness of the country's existence in a hostile environment that requires armaments to ward off all the dangers of regional developments in the region, such as the spread of terrorist groups or the threat of Iran that has lurked in the region and has been permeated for years in the policies of some Arab countries, such as Syria, Iraq and Yemen.
The Iranian expansion plans in the Middle East raise the concerns of Saudi Arabia, which demands curbing Tehran, especially with regard to its nuclear file and its ballistic missiles, so Riyadh seeks, behind its domestic military programs, to protect its territories and counter the increasing Houthi attacks.
Not only that, but the plan has a double objective, as it will support the employment path of the defense industry for the benefit of thousands of Saudis, which stimulates Riyadh to continue supporting military manufacturing companies and other local companies, to ensure their ability to grow and provide more job opportunities.
Insistence to overcome obstacles
Although Saudi Arabia is not close to self-sufficiency, like the allies of the United States from the more advanced countries that remain dependent on Washington in the field of technology and military knowledge, it is trying to benefit from strategic partnerships with the largest military industry companies on both sides of the Atlantic in order to learn from the best.
The Gulf country, which for years has been heavily dependent on arms imports from the United States, Britain and Germany and is the world's third largest spender on the defense sector, has worked to develop its domestic defense industry through a plan aimed at directing half of its military spending to domestic sources. And he shows great determination to overcome all obstacles, however difficult they may be.
The governor of the General Authority for Military Industries in Saudi Arabia (Sami), Ahmed Al-Ohali, revealed last Saturday, during the current edition of IDEX that his country will invest more than 20 billion dollars in its military industry during the next decade, including research and development, with an increase in spending on military research and development from 0.2 per cent. One to about four percent of spending on armaments by 2030.
In a move against the will of President Joe Biden's administration, the Saudi Military Industries Corporation, which was founded by the sovereign wealth fund in 2017, signed an agreement last Sunday with the US company Lockheed Martin to establish a joint company, at a time when Washington said it was reviewing arms sales to Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia is a major global importer of weapons, but some Western countries are now refusing to sell weapons to Saudi Arabia due to its role in the conflict in Yemen, the country suffering the world's worst humanitarian crisis, according to the United Nations. Earlier this month, the Biden administration announced that it would end support for Saudi offensive operations in the Yemen war.
But the Vice President of Lockheed Martin, Timothy Cahill, confirmed that the agreement represents an "important cornerstone" in his company's relationship with the Saudi company and is part of the strategy to provide accredited defense and security solutions .
In the midst of this, Saudi Arabia has not lost the opportunity to develop relations with its regional allies, especially the Gulf, the first of which is the United Arab Emirates, as they form a strategic alliance in the face of foreign interference, and they share in many areas that make them devote the principle of integration.
Therefore, the Saudi Arabian Sami Company, on Monday, signed a joint cooperation agreement with the Emirati Nimer Company, a subsidiary of the Edge Group, to supply Saudi Arabia with its need of armored vehicles. It is the first agreement between Saudi companies and their Emirati counterparts in the military industries sector.
Walid Abu Khaled, CEO of Sami, says that the company aims to achieve annual revenues of $ 5 billion by 2030, as part of an effort to manufacture more military equipment inside the country.
The Saudis are working to transfer technology to this industry. Last December, the Saudi Arabian Military Industries acquired the Advanced Electronics Company, thus becoming a 100 percent Saudi company. It is the largest private sector defense deal in the country.
In April of last year, the Saudi Military Industries Authority launched the work of a project to develop, manufacture and maintain unmanned aircraft systems in cooperation with the Saudi company Intra Defense Technologies.
https://alarab.co.uk/التصنيع-الدفاعي-رهان-سعودي-بأبعاد-جيواستراتيجية
