News – Middle East: A report published by the “Gulf International Forum” highlighted the impact of the recent growth of Chinese-Saudi relations on the Kingdom’s march towards possessing advanced drones, to protect its security, which raised the concern of the United States, due to Beijing’s growing contribution to Riyadh’s new strategy for these drones.

The report indicated that Saudi Arabia signed, last March, an agreement with China to build military drones inside the Kingdom, to maximize its contribution to the national economy.

Since the attacks by drones and ballistic missiles on Saudi energy facilities in 2019, it has become clear how sensitive the Gulf countries are and their need for defensive weapons systems, as well as the possession of drones capable of responding to any attacks and achieving a state of deterrence.

Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 prompted the Kingdom's interest to a large extent in developing the unmanned aircraft industry, and began to compete with other countries such as the UAE in this field.
The Saudi Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) is developing plans for a heavy-lift drone.

According to Walid Abu Khaled, CEO of the Saudi Arabian Military Industries Company, the country is working on producing its own drone models.

Abu Khaled added that the kingdom hopes to divert half of its total military spending to domestic production, including the manufacture of drones, by 2030. But years ago, there were deals that raised concerns in Washington. In March 2017, after the Saudi monarch, King Salman, visited Beijing, the two countries announced their desire to boost bilateral trade. During the visit, China agreed to start manufacturing drones in Saudi Arabia under contracts worth $65 billion.

Last March, during an aerospace exhibition in Riyadh, the Saudi Advanced Electronic and Communications Systems Company, Aerial Solutions, signed a contract with a Chinese defense company to design and manufacture military drones in the Kingdom.

This investment agreement also included a program for the development of flying helicopters, anti-drone defense systems and helicopter spare parts. Riyadh has also expressed interest in purchasing the modern Chinese LY-70 missile defense system.

Wing Long

Also in 2017, the Chinese news agency “Xinhua” announced the country’s largest arms export deal, which will supply its fans, Beijing, Riyadh, with 300 Wing Loong II drones through the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group. The Saudi Air Force revealed the drones for the first time at King Khalid Air Base in the city of Khamis Mushait.

Wing Loong II is 36 ft (11 m) long and 13.5 ft (4.1 m) wide, has a wingspan of 67 ft (20.5 m), and can carry 1,060 lb (480 kg) of various weapons at high altitude.

It is important to realize that the drones that Saudi Arabia used before buying Wing Loong II were less efficient, so observers said, at the time, that the improved capabilities of the Wing Loong II platform would enable Riyadh to better protect its energy infrastructure.

Accordingly, the Chinese have emerged as the main beneficiaries of the tense relationship between Saudi Arabia and the United States, according to the analysis.

The report stated that under the current situation, Saudi Arabia and China seem ready to deepen military relations, as the enormous financial resources and technological prowess of Chinese companies can be taken advantage of to develop the military sector in Saudi Arabia, but bilateral cooperation goes beyond improving Saudi Arabia's security.