Sami Composites, a wholly owned subsidiary of Saudi Arabian Military Industries (Sami), has announced that it has signed an agreement with leading global security and aerospace company Lockheed Martin to develop a composites manufacturing centre of excellence in Riyadh with the support of the General Authority for Military Industries (Gami), to boost Saudi Arabia’s aerospace manufacturing capabilities.

The Composites Manufacturing Center of Excellence forms part of Sami’s efforts to develop a sustainable and self-sufficient defense industries sector in Saudi Arabia, in line with the Saudi Vision 2030 goal of localising more than 50 per cent of the Kingdom’s expenditure on defense equipment and services by the year 2030, said a statement from Sami.

The new plant will help Saudi Arabia build its aerospace manufacturing capabilities to produce cutting-edge solutions in the future. Sami Composites and Lockheed Martin will assess and develop the center in a phased manner and will also focus on national talent development, it added.

The agreement was inked on the sidelines of the 2022 edition of Farnborough International Airshow (FIA) in the United Kingdom by CEO Engineer Walid Abukhaled and Ray Piselli, Vice President of International Business at Lockheed Martin, in the presence of Ahmad Bin Abdulaziz Al-Ohali, Governor of Gami.

Commenting on the deal, Al Ohali said: "Gami supports strategic cooperation, such as these, between local manufacturers and global industry Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). We look forward to the Composites Manufacturing Center of Excellence further bolstering Saudi Arabia’s strategic autonomy within the air domain, and more broadly in the defense sector."

Abukhaled said: “Our relationship with Lockheed Martin has proven invaluable across the years, and today marks another milestone for our two companies and for Saudi Arabia’s promising aerospace sector.”

Ray Piselli, Vice President for International Business at Lockheed Martin, commented: “Lockheed Martin is committed to partnering with Sami in its efforts to achieve Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. Through industrial partnerships, specialised knowledge transfer programs, and human capital development initiatives, we will continue to develop the Saudi industry.”

John Flavin, CEO of Sami Composites, said it will be Saudi Arabia’s composites manufacturing hub furnished with state-of-the-art equipment and materials.