RIYADH: The General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI), during its participation in Riyadh’s 6th International Conference on Electronic Warfare and Radar, said that it had identified 21 military technologies to be developed by the sector over the next seven years.
“GAMI’s role is to contribute to the interaction and cooperation between local and international stakeholders in order to promote the added-value of Saudi military industries,” said Abdullah bin Abdulrahman bin Zaraah, director of industry development at GAMI, during a panel discussion.
“The main stakeholders in the Kingdom are divided into three groups: The military, local manufacturers and the research and development centers. They are all working to update their operations and activities in order to keep up with the sector’s new strategy, which will be announced by GAMI soon,” he added, noting: “The authority is continuing to develop the sector’s tight legislative framework, which includes the relation between all stakeholders, provides cooperation opportunities and encourages investments.”
“The new strategy identified 21 military technologies divided into seven categories: Electro-optics, directed energy, radar, radio, cybersecurity technologies, electromagnetic weapons and artificial intelligence.”
“GAMI is facing the challenge of building a young sector, which requires significant investments and support. It will rely on its competencies and partnerships with other countries and international manufacturing companies to establish the research infrastructure of the local military industries,” Al-Zaraa pointed out.
“The long-term planning of the Kingdom’s military needs is essential to building local capabilities. Empowering local manufacturers and promoting their competitiveness will be vital to the sector’s advancement,” he stressed, commending the efforts exerted by the sector’s stakeholders to establish a system that enables military bodies to develop five-year plans identifying their needs.
“The executive regulations of the competitiveness and government procurement system helps overcome this challenge, while GAMI is developing incentive programs to bridge the competitiveness gap between the local and international manufacturers in the future.”
The 6th International Conference on Electronic Warfare and Radar is organized by the Ministry of Defense and King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology. It aims to introduce military experts and enthusiasts to the newest developments in the field of electronic warfare and radar.
GAMI’s participation as a sponsor comes from its keenness to achieve its objectives of organizing, developing and monitoring the performance of the Kingdom’s military industries sector, holding exhibitions, conferences, scientific forums and workshops related to military industries and procurements and organizing military research and development activities according to the regulations.
