Saudi-Turkish defense industry partnership focuses on technology transfer and talent development

Bander Al-Khorayef, Minister of State, Cabinet Member, and Acting Governor of the General Authority for Military Industries, participated in the "Rukn Suppliers Meeting" organized by Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) as part of its local content and supplier development program "Rukn," held in Istanbul, Turkey, from November 11 to 12, 2026.

The event brought together SAMI Group companies and several Saudi firms with Turkish industrial suppliers to explore localization opportunities, supply chain requirements, and to strengthen industrial cooperation between the two countries.

The meeting was attended by Professor Haluk Görgün, President of the Turkish Defense Industries Agency; Davut Gül, Governor of Istanbul; Dr. Çetin Ali Dönmez, Turkish Deputy Minister of Industry and Technology; Hashim Songur, Turkish Chair of the Turkish-Saudi Business Council; Engineer Thamer Al-Muhaid, CEO of SAMI; Murat Ekinci, Vice Chairman of SAHA Istanbul; as well as representatives from Saudi and Turkish companies.

Al-Khorayef emphasized that, with leadership support, Saudi Arabia continues to build advanced national industrial capabilities and enhance the military industries sector’s appeal for high-quality investment, aiming to achieve Vision 2030’s target of localizing over 50% of military spending by 2030.

He explained that the Saudi-Turkish partnership in the military industries sector is based on close cooperation, technology and knowledge transfer, and talent development, supporting localization and boosting companies’ international competitiveness. He expressed hope that these relations would translate into long-term investments and partnerships.

Al-Khorayef highlighted the contribution of the "Rukn" program to supplier development, expanding local manufacturers’ participation, increasing local content in procurement, developing national talent, and creating quality job opportunities. He stressed the importance of building reliable and diverse supply chains.

On the sidelines of the meeting, Al-Khorayef met with the President of the Turkish Defense Industries Agency and visited Baykar, a company specializing in unmanned aerial systems. He also discussed cooperation and localization of advanced technologies with Turkish company leaders.

Al-Khorayef toured the accompanying exhibition, where he and Turkish officials reviewed the industrial and technological capabilities of participating Saudi and Turkish companies.

This participation is part of the Authority’s efforts to strengthen international partnerships and attract high-quality investments, building on the military industries sector’s progress in raising the localization rate of military spending from 4% in 2018 to 27.30% by the end of 2025, and achieving a local content rate of 40.91%.