RIYADH: A network of drones will be used to monitor oil spills under a new contract signed between Saudi Arabia’s Al Moammar Information Systems, also known as MIS, and Saudi Investment Recycling Co. for SR183.8 million ($49 million).   

The maritime emergency monitoring and response center project is set to build an integrated system of advanced technical solutions, enabling SAIL, a marine company owned by SIRC, to monitor for early warnings of oil spills in the Arabian Gulf and Red Sea. 

According to MIS’ statement to Tadawul, the solutions supplied make use of the innovative global technology in artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and data analysis using digital twins and satellite solutions.  

SAIL, established in June last year, works toward establishing emergency responses services supported by marine monitoring, which will help to detect oil and hazardous early material spills in the Saudi waters.  

Following the launch of SAIL in June 2022, Abdulrahman Al-Fadley, Saudi minister of environment, water, and agriculture and the chairman of the board of directors of SIRC, remarked that the firm would “support the Kingdom’s efforts in safeguarding its marine environment as well as the Saudi coasts.”  

The Saudi marine company has plans to clean up 530,000 barrels of oil spills and hazardous materials to help protect the Kingdom’s shorelines.

Mohammed Al-Ashwan, project manager at SAIL, told Arab News in November last year: “The objectives and mandate of SAIL is to protect the Saudi Arabian shoreline, either on the Arabian Gulf side, or the Red Sea.”

In a bourse filing earlier this month, MIS announced that it had been notified by Al-Rajhi Capital that it had obtained approval to establish a $266 million investment fund, which is compliant with Shariah.    

The investment fund aims at financing digital, technical and medical infrastructure equipment.  

Furthermore, MIS signed a $14 million contract in October with the construction firm Absal Paul Co. to implement the infrastructure technology development, supply, and installation of networks and data centers.  

The company has been collaborating closely with Saudi enterprises to help the Kingdom’s information technology sector expand.