RIYADH

Turkish firm ULAQ Global Autonomous Systems, maker of the country’s first unmanned surface vehicle (USV), inked a deal with SAMI Autonomous Company, a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), to strengthen the cooperation in unmanned naval systems.

The deal, signed at the World Defense Show (WDS) 2026 held in Riyadh, aims to establish a comprehensive cooperation framework involving design, development, production, system integration, and maintenance of unmanned maritime systems in Saudi Arabia.

The deal is the first to be signed in this field in Saudi Arabia and will make a massive contribution to its maritime and defense capabilities, in line with the country’s Vision 2030 goals.

Kerem Kalafatoglu, a member of the board of directors at ULAQ Global, told Anadolu that the deal between the two firms is aimed at prioritizing joint development, technology transfer, and the domestic production of USVs.

“Our business activities are ongoing, not only with Saudi Arabia but worldwide,” he said. “This initiative will offer us the opportunity to generate sustainable profits, and we aim to export the ULAQ USV not only to Saudi Arabia but also to the rest of the world.”

Turkish firm ULAQ Global will contribute to the domestic USV production in Saudi Arabia by transferring the know-how accumulated over the years with the Saudi partner.

“Our work continues here and in Europe and the US,” he noted. “We aim to grow ULAQ Global at a global scale, so I hope there will be more comprehensive news soon.”

* Writing by Emir Yildirim in Istanbul