According to Boeing Saudi Arabia President Asaad Al-Jomoai, the company now has more than 400 defence platforms in the Kingdom, as the United States-based aviation giant’s Gulf subsidiary continues to deepen its engagement with local manufacturers such as Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI), which is leading the Kingdom’s defence localisation mission.
The official remarked, “The partnership is also active through academic and technical cooperation, as Boeing is a founding partner of Al-Faisal University and has partnerships with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, or KAUST, and King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology.”
While stating industry and supply chain localisation as key objectives for companies operating in Saudi Arabia, Al-Jomoai added that partnerships with firms like SAMI are boosting the Kingdom’s goal of localising more than 50% of its military spending by 2030. Boeing considers itself a central partner in localisation and technology transfer.
According to Al-Jomoai, Boeing’s relationship with Saudi Arabia, which spans more than 81 years, has been a fruitful one, with the aviation giant delivering more than 170 commercial aircraft in recent years.
Boeing’s existing contracts within Saudi Arabia’s military-industrial set-up include maintenance and technical support for advanced defence systems, most notably F-15 fighter jets, with the Kingdom being the largest operator of the aircraft outside the United States. These contracts also cover Apache attack helicopters and AH-6i aircraft, light helicopter gunships often known as the “Little Bird.”
Al-Jomoai said that although support agreements cover both commercial and defence sectors, defence operations currently dominate in the Kingdom’s aviation discourse, as the Gulf major continues to expand its military spending.
According to Boeing’s website, Boeing Defence, Space & Security’s relationship with the Royal Saudi Air Force began in 1978 when Saudi Arabia selected its first fleet of F-15C/D aircraft, forming the backbone of the Kingdom’s air defence.
The fleet expanded significantly in December 2011 when Saudi Arabia and the United States signed a military sales agreement, the largest in America’s history at the time, covering F-15SA fighter jets, AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, and AH-6 light armed reconnaissance helicopters.