Defense & Aerospace

The U.S.-Saudi Business Council has played a role in supporting defense, security, and aviation ties between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia since its inception. These sectors have served as a foundation of the relationship between these two countries for over 70 years, and Vision 2030’s ambitious goals to modernize and reinvigorate growth in these industries has opened opportunities for U.S. companies in a wide range of sectors to support this growth.

Your support and expertise has been instrumental in assisting ManTech achieve where we are today with respect to opening the pathways to Corporation opportunities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

I was extremely pleased to use the services of the USSBC; they were professional and extremely prompt in processing my application for a new five-year multiple entry business visa to the Kingdom.

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Overview

Saudi Arabia possesses substantial defense expenditures and is undertaking major reforms to cultivate domestic military industries. The Kingdom has set a target for over 50 percent localization of military spending by 2030.

To enable this goal, leaders have implemented pivotal reforms such as forming the General Authority of Military Industries (GAMI) as the sector’s regulating body. Additionally, business licensing processes have moved online to facilitate easy setup of new ventures. Regulations now also permit full 100 percent foreign ownership for companies operating in the defense and security domain. In addition, foreign companies adhering to local content requirements receive identical rights as Saudi firms, ensuring a level playing field.

With these upgrades to the business climate, the landscape has witnessed noticeable activity from both domestic and international companies aiming to tap into the Kingdom’s extensive opportunities for defense manufacturing, technologies, supply chain fulfillment, and services to meet local demand.

The defense and aerospace sector’s Vision 2030 goals focus on strengthening national security forces through developing homegrown technologies and equipment like aviation systems. The sector’s ambitious localization targets open substantial investment openings across the entire aerospace and defense supply chain for U.S. companies ranging from small businesses to global business leaders.