Embraer and a Saudi Arabian defence company have signed an agreement to promote and expand the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer’s presence in the country, starting with its C-390 Millennium military transport aircraft.
Representatives from Embraer and Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) – the country’s state-owned defence company – signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Wednesday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to establish cooperation in the aerospace sector.
“This is the first step in advancing cooperation in the defence and security sectors, with production chains between the two countries,” Bosco da Costa Junior, president and CEO of Embraer Defense and Security, said in a statement. “With this [MOU], Embraer continues to advance in a strategic market.”
The agreement sets the stage for both companies to expand their operations in Saudi Arabia, “with a focus on promoting the capabilities of the C-390” and supporting the country’s Ministry of Defence, Embraer said.
“SAMI and Embraer will work to establish a comprehensive maintenance capability for Embraer aircraft in the Kingdom. In addition, both companies will explore a regional MRO hub and final assembly line for the Embraer C-390, as well as mission systems integration in the Kingdom,” Embraer said.
The MOU also establishes an aerospace training partnership between the two companies in Saudi Arabia, the company added.
The MOU is the latest in a series of international agreements aimed at localising Saudi Arabia’s defence industry. In recent months, SAMI has signed a maintenance agreement with France’s Safran Helicopter Engines and a drone manufacturing agreement with Turkey’s Baykar Tech.
“This growth in our business scope and capabilities underscores SAMI’s commitment to promoting and supporting the development of the aerospace ecosystem in the Kingdom,” said Walid Abukhaled, CEO of SAMI, in a statement. “It is another important step in SAMI’s efforts to support Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to strengthen the Kingdom’s self-sufficiency in the defence sector and contribute to the localisation of 50 per cent of defence spending in the Kingdom by 2030.”