Saudi Arabia air focus: The world’s fourth-largest UAV market seeks to strengthen domestic industry
GA-ASI showcased the full-sized YFQ-42A model at the Dubai Airshow 2025, with Shephard forecasting a potential $3 billion procurement in the coming years. (Photo: GA-ASI)
With $9.18 billion in uncontracted programmes — including a potential multi-billion-dollar MQ-9B deal — Saudi Arabia’s UAV sector is poised for significant further growth and industrial expansion.
The Saudi Arabian uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) market is worth US$13.54 billion, according to estimates from Shephard Defence Insight. It is the fourth-largest UAV market in the world after the US, India and Germany, sitting ahead of China, France, Japan, Turkey, Australia, the UAE and the UK.
Of this $13.54 billion, 32.2% ($4.36 billion) is estimated to have already been spent on UAVs, with the remaining 67.8% ($9.18 billion) accounted for by as-yet-uncontracted procurement programmes.
This percentage split between contracted and uncontracted programmes closely aligns with the average divided across the other countries with the highest UAV market values, at 34.7% and 65.3%, respectively. It
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