Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Tuesday, Oct 07, 2025

SAMI’s new ‘Center of Excellence’ to be up and running by 2025: CEO

SAMI’s new ‘Center of Excellence’ to be up and running by 2025: CEO

Saudi Arabia is set to create hundreds more jobs in the defense sector as Saudi Arabian Military Industries' new ‘Land System Center of Excellence’ becomes operational in the next two years.
Speaking exclusively on the sidelines of the International Defence Exhibition in Abu Dhabi, Walid Abukhaled said the latest project by the company is designed to boost the defense industry in Saudi Arabia.

“What we announced is the design phase of the facilities. We have got board approval, we have got the support, and we are moving forward with our plan,” he said.

The SAMI CEO said the latest center will focus on developing land system vehicles including four-by-fours, six-by-sixes, and eight-by-eights.

The center is part of the drive to make SAMI one of the top 25 defense companies globally by 2030 – an ambition that is increasingly likely thanks to the support from the leadership of the Kingdom, according to Abukhaled.

Last year, the firm joined forces with global firm Lockheed Martin to begin work on a Composites Manufacturing Center of Excellence to boost Saudi Arabia’s aerospace manufacturing capabilities.

During the interview, he expressed his gratitude to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and said that his Vision 2030 is the driving factor behind SAMI’s growth.

“Only after four years of operationalizing SAMI’s operation, we managed to be one of the top 100 defense companies in the world. We are number 96. Company number 100 is Embraer which was established in 1969. Our ultimate objective is to be a top 25 defense company by 2030,” said Abukhaled.

He added: “We have a clear roadmap. The target is 2030, absolutely. And the challenge, can we beat it? Can we beat the date and make it happen before 2030?“

According to Abukhaled, the government, the military and all the armed forces are working together to help SAMI achieve this target.

He further noted that SAMI has hired some of the best local talents, along with international experts who have first-hand knowledge about the defense sector, and this has played a crucial role in determining the success of the company in a very short period of time.

The SAMI CEO added that the firm is eyeing 50 percent of localization in defense spending by 2030.

He further pointed out that space is going to play a crucial role in enhancing the communication system in the defense sector.

“Space will play a key role in communication. And under our advanced electronic divisions, we have communication systems, and that communication can happen through space, or through a normal waveform, ground to ground. So, we are working on how to communicate with satellites, and that will be under our advanced electronics division,” he said.

Abukhaled revealed that SAMI is also working on new technologies like artificial intelligence and autonomous vehicle technology to further grow in the defense sector.

“We have a chief technology officer. There is a function called emerging technologies, where the main objective and purpose is to look at the trends in technology and look 20 and 30 years ahead. So, absolutely there is a focus on advanced technology,” said Abukhaled.

He added: “Autonomy is not an option any more. It is coming. That is the future. Airplane will fly without pilots. Ships will sail without a captain, and for land vehicles, you will not need drivers. The machines have proven that they can. They are more reliable and they do not make mistakes. Of course, you need to put the right option in them to make it reliable.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Syria Holds First Elections Since Fall of Assad
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
UK, Canada, and Australia Officially Recognise Palestine in Historic Shift
New Eye Drops Show Promise in Replacing Reading Glasses for Presbyopia
Dubai Property Boom Shows Strain as Flippers Get Buyer’s Remorse
Top AI Researchers Are Heading Back to China as U.S. Struggles to Keep Pace
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
UAE-US Stargate Project Poised to Make Abu Dhabi a Global AI Powerhouse
Trump and Starmer Clash Over UK Recognition of Palestinian State Amid State Visit
Saudi Arabia cracks down on music ‘lounges’ after conservative backlash
Saudi Arabia Signs ‘Strategic Mutual Defence’ Pact with Pakistan, Marking First Arab State to Gain Indirect Access to Nuclear Strike Capabilities in the Region
Sam Altman sells the 'Wedding Estate' in Hawaii for 49 million dollars
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Kuwait opens bidding for construction of three cities to ease housing crunch.
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Did the Houthis disrupt the internet in the Middle East? Submarine cables cut in the Red Sea
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
×