Combat-proven wheeled military vehicles manufacturer NIMR has signed a ‘teaming agreement’ with Public Investment Fund (PIF) subsidiary Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI).
Under the agreement, the partners will search for new opportunities for NIMR’s JAIS 4×4 configuration vehicle in Saudi Arabia.
The deal was signed at the International Defence Exhibition & Conference (IDEX) 2021.
Established in 2000, NIMR is part of the EDGE Group’s Platform and Systems cluster.
EDGE CEO and managing director Faisal Al Bannai said: “Fostering strategic relationships is a key pillar of EDGE’s strategy, and we look forward to building on this commitment with our colleagues at SAMI.
“This agreement represents the first military collaboration between Saudi Arabia and the UAE and is a major step in boosting the already robust relations between our respective nations.”
JAIS is a next-generation mine-resistant ambush-protected (MRAP) infantry armoured vehicle (IAV) deployed for patrol, utility and specialist roles.
In the trials arranged by SAMI, the battle-proven vehicle showcased its performance and capabilities against other platforms. The tests were conducted by Saudi Arabian military experts.
The teaming agreement will see NIMR license the technology to Saudi Arabia. This will pave the way for local production of the vehicle.
SAMI CEO Walid Abukhaled said: “We are pleased to witness the culmination of our shared efforts over the past year as we ink this agreement to transfer technology and knowledge to Saudi Arabia’s defence manufacturing sector, contributing to the Saudi Vision 2030 objective of localising over 50% of the military equipment spending by 2030.
“This achievement also supports PIF’s efforts through SAMI in localising cutting-edge technology and knowledge, as well as building strategic economic partnerships.”
In 2019, L3 Technologies and SAMI teamed up on projects related to electro-optical and infrared (EO/IR) and special mission systems in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
