Skyports Drone Services is making its first entry into the Saudi Arabian market through a strategic collaboration with iot squared, a joint venture between Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and national telecom company stc group.
The partnership will see Skyports deploy its expertise in beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations for a proof-of-concept exploring the integration of drone technology into Saudi Arabia’s large-scale infrastructure and real estate developments, known as giga-projects. In addition, Skyports will help establish a BVLOS-friendly ecosystem to accelerate the expansion of drone operations across the country. This includes developing iot squared’s remote command and control centre.
The proof-of-concept will demonstrate how drone services can contribute to more sustainable transport solutions while enabling faster, more efficient operations, drawing on Skyports’ experience in inter-island and offshore deliveries. With Saudi Arabia investing heavily in new infrastructure and smart technologies, and the country’s regulators and transport organisations prioritising enabling regulatory frameworks, the initiative aims to set the foundation for widespread adoption of drone technology across the countrys large-scale development projects, known as giga-projects.
Skyports has previously successfully implemented drone services across multiple industries, including medical, maritime, energy, and infrastructure, partnering with organisations such as Royal Mail, Equinor and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore. As the Saudi Arabia project progresses, Skyports and iot squared will explore further opportunities to scale drone operations across the country’s ongoing and upcoming giga-projects.
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Image: Othman Aldahash, iot squared CEO and Daniel O’Neill, General Manager, Skyports Drone Services – Middle East (Skyports photo)
