NIMR, a leading manufacturer of combat-proven wheeled military vehicles, today (February 22) signed a Teaming Agreement with Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI), a subsidiary of Public Investment Fund, to establish a framework for future collaboration to explore opportunities for the JAIS 4x4 vehicle in Saudi Arabia.

 

The deal was inked on the sidelines of the ongoing International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX 2021) in the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC).

 

Staff Major General Pilot Faris Khalaf Al Mazrouei, Chairman of the NIMR Board and Sami CEO Walid Abukhaled signed the agreement in the presence of Ahmed A. Alohali, Governor of the General Authorities for Military Industries (GAMI), Turki bin Abdullah Al-Dakhil, Saudi Ambassador to the UAE, Faisal Al Bannai, CEO and Managing Director of EDGE, and other officials.

 

NIMR and SAMI have been negotiating the terms of a potential partnership – the Teaming Agreement encapsulates this outcome. 

 

Designed to lay the foundation for a long-term joint venture between the two entities, the agreement mandates NIMR to license technology to the Kingdom to enable local manufacture of the JAIS vehicle and develop Saudi Arabia’s supply chain capabilities. 

 

The synergy aligns seamlessly with the Saudi Vision 2030 that underlines the country’s commitment to reaching the goal of localising industry and diversifying the economy.

 

The JAIS 4x4 competed against a range of vehicles in demanding trials arranged by SAMI and conducted by military experts in Saudi Arabia. The exceptional performance of the battle-tested platform in the trials paved the way for new opportunities for the vehicle in Saudi Arabia.

 

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.”

 

Abukhaled said Sami is 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 localizing over 50 percent of the military equipment spending by 2030. 

 

SAMI has selected NIMR as its preferred local partner due to its strategic position as a key enabler of the Saudi Vision 2030. "This achievement also supports PIF’s efforts through Sami in localizing cutting-edge technology and knowledge, as well as building strategic economic partnerships,” he added.