Turkish Bayraktar combat drones to be manufactured in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia has signed a strategic agreement with Turkish defence firm Baykar Tech to localise the manufacturing of drones in the kingdom.

The agreement "will enhance SAMI’s role in supporting the national defence industry and strengthening our local capabilities," Reuters quotes state-owned Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) as saying on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

In July, Saudi Arabia agreed to buy Turkish drones from Baykar in the biggest defence contract in Türkiye's history.

Investments and funding from the Gulf have helped relieve pressure on Türkiye's economy and its currency reserves since 2021 when Ankara launched a diplomatic effort to repair ties with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Türkiye had been at odds for years with the two Gulf states over Ankara's support of pro-democracy movements in the Middle East and North Africa and the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018.