RIYADH: The National Defence Industry Policy is expected to be launched early next year to strengthen the sector through innovation and technological advancement, says Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin (pic).
The Defence Minister told Bernama that the policy had already been approved by the Cabinet.
“We will also learn from and understand the processes implemented by other countries, including Saudi Arabia,” he said here on Wednesday.
The National Defence Industry Policy was formulated to enhance the nation’s defence sector by reducing dependence on the procurement of assets from abroad.
This includes efforts to strengthen the local defence industry ecosystem, empower the Science and Technology Research Institute for Defence as the research body under the Defence Ministry, and ensure technology transfer in every procurement undertaken.
Earlier, Mohamed Khaled expressed Malaysia’s intention to study Saudi Arabia’s defence industry development model in line with the government’s efforts to strengthen the sector.
He said the visit by His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, to Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) on Wednesday provided Malaysia with an opportunity to examine the approaches and models adopted in developing defence capabilities.
Established in 2017, SAMI aims to advance Saudi Arabia’s defence industry strategy by localising military manufacturing and developing advanced defence systems, in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.
SAMI operates through its five main sector units, namely aviation and space, defence systems, advanced electronics, land systems and marine systems.
Since its establishment, SAMI has achieved several major milestones aimed at strengthening Saudi Arabia’s self-sufficiency in military industries through cutting-edge technologies and the kingdom’s top talent.
