Saudi Arabia has launched an award to encourage innovation in the military industries, support a promising national industrial stage, create innovative solutions to address the sector's challenges, increase spending efficiency, and improve the level of services and infrastructure.
The General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI) launched the Innovation Award in the Military Industries to inspire and encourage innovators to present innovative solutions and address the technical challenges faced by the sector.
GAMI Governor Ahmed al-Ohali said the award allows innovators to deliver qualitative and innovative solutions.
Knowledge impact
GAMI said the award holds a significant knowledge impact through raising awareness about the importance of innovation in the military industries sector and holds economic impact by reducing costs in addressing technical issues with innovative ideas and solutions.
The award also positively affects services and infrastructure, improving the services provided and enhancing infrastructure capabilities with innovative ideas and solutions.
Power of innovation
Several awards for innovation and superior solutions have been launched in various sectors, the most recent of which was an award for innovation in e-learning and training.
The award for military industries will be fundamental in promoting a culture of innovation and supporting talented people to contribute to the development of military industries.
Saudi Arabia aims to increase the level of employing innovative trends in several sectors to promote the efficiency of services and reduce unnecessary spending.
President of the Global Innovation Institute, KSA Chapter Abdulwahed al-Ghanem said Saudi Arabia will continue relying on research, development and innovation.
Ghanem noted that Riyadh will increase the momentum with the launch of the Supreme Committee for Research, Development, and Innovation, chaired by Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.
Saudi Arabia jumped 15 ranks in the Global Innovation Index for 2022, issued by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), less than a year after announcing the national aspirations and priorities for research, development, and innovation (RDI).
The Kingdom has also become one of the fastest transforming countries in the world, thanks to its drive to diversify its economy and enter new and promising sectors, according to a report published by Forbes.
The report indicated that Saudi Arabia boosted its efforts with research and innovation in 2022 by raising the number of patents to 963.
Ghanem said Saudi Arabia is in its golden stage of innovation, predicting a prosperous future for the Kingdom that will lead the next wave in research and innovation in the Arab world and Middle East.
SR500 Mn to Support Military Innovation
The Innovation Award in the Military Industries allows innovators to provide qualitative solutions that address some military technical challenges in partnership between the Saudi authorities concerned with supporting the innovation and the army industrialization sectors.
The Saudi partners included the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, the General Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises (Monsha'at), the Research Development and Innovation Authority, the General Authority for Defense Development (GADD), and the Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI).
Worth SR500 million, the award will be handed out yearly to support the innovations of talented citizens and residents in developing military industries. Submissions be assessed by a committee of specialists in the public and private sectors in several scientific fields.
The submission extends for two and a half months, and the committee will then begin receiving innovative contributions before announcing the winners during Saudi Arabia's World Defense Show in February.
The integration of innovation within military industries, the involvement of Saudi minds in the future of the precision industry, and the provision of diversified solutions will provide a unique opportunity for local and international manufacturers to meet Saudi talents.
