عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Business

‘Lockheed Martin’: Saudi Arabia Provides Ideal Opportunities for Manufacturing Parts of Our Military Products

International Business Vice President at Lockheed Martin Ray Piselli, Asharq Al-Awsat
International Business Vice President at Lockheed Martin Ray Piselli, Asharq Al-Awsat
TT
TT

‘Lockheed Martin’: Saudi Arabia Provides Ideal Opportunities for Manufacturing Parts of Our Military Products

International Business Vice President at Lockheed Martin Ray Piselli, Asharq Al-Awsat
International Business Vice President at Lockheed Martin Ray Piselli, Asharq Al-Awsat

International Business Vice President at Lockheed Martin Ray Piselli has said that Saudi Arabia provides ideal opportunities for manufacturing parts of Lockheed Martin’s products, pointing out that the corporation is working with Riyadh to make the Kingdom a world-class producer of military equipment.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on the sidelines of the Dubai Airshow, Piselli revealed that demand for Lockheed Martin’s services is robust in the region despite the predicted strains on national budgets.

“Our main goal in the region is to help protect future generations,” Piselli confirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat, adding that some complexities arise in the modern battlefield, where semi-peer opponents are rapidly developing their strategies and capabilities.

As for Lockheed Martin’s aspirations for working with Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Gulf countries in general, Piselli reaffirmed that the corporation had been a trusted partner to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council for more than 55 years and a regional leader in building sovereign capabilities and upgrading the skills of the workforce in the local aerospace and defense sector.

Piselli said that Lockheed Martin understands the national visions of its regional partners and continues to support them in achieving economic diversification goals.

He revealed that Lockheed Martin has adopted a three-pillar approach focused on knowledge transfer, localization of industries, and human capital development.

When asked about the company’s relationship with Saudi Arabia, Piselli stressed that Lockheed Martin has been present in the Kingdom since 1965.

Since then, the company has continued to expand its presence in the Kingdom, especially in the fields of integrated air and missile defense systems, tactical and helicopter technology, naval systems, and satellite communications.

Piselli revealed that Lockheed Martin was also involved in developing and implementing training initiatives for the next generation of Saudi talent.

He said the training programs aim to ensure the sustainability of the Kingdom’s local aviation and defense sector and are in line with the national transformation plan “Vision 2030.”

As for Lockheed Martin’s plans to manufacture parts of their products in the Middle East, Piselli emphasized that Saudi Arabia offers ideal opportunities for achieving such a goal.

He pointed to the Kingdom’s 2018 defense budget and noted that it was the third biggest plan in the world at around $80 billion.

Piselli then moved on to commend the vision carried by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and his continuous efforts to localize 50% of military spending by 2030.

Lockheed Martin’s plan for manufacturing parts for its products in the Kingdom covers two main areas.

First, the corporation is working with the US government to identify technologies that can be released to partner countries. Second, Lockheed Martin is cooperating with Saudi authorities to identify the most appropriate local companies to manufacture such technologies under localization contracts.

Moreover, Lockheed Martin offers gap analysis to help Saudi partners become world-class military equipment producers.

Piselli also pointed to Lockheed Martin holding a specialized workshop for suppliers in Riyadh in October 2021.

He also stressed that Lockheed Martin sees growth potential across the GCC region.

Most Viewed

 
 
Business

IMF and Arab Monetary Fund Sign MoU to Enhance Cooperation

The MoU was signed by IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and AMF Director General Dr. Fahad Alturki - SPA
The MoU was signed by IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and AMF Director General Dr. Fahad Alturki - SPA
TT
TT

IMF and Arab Monetary Fund Sign MoU to Enhance Cooperation

The MoU was signed by IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and AMF Director General Dr. Fahad Alturki - SPA
The MoU was signed by IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and AMF Director General Dr. Fahad Alturki - SPA

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Arab Monetary Fund (AMF) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the sidelines of the AlUla Conference on Emerging Market Economies (EME) to enhance cooperation between the two institutions.

The MoU was signed by IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and AMF Director General Dr. Fahad Alturki, SPA reported.

The agreement aims to strengthen coordination in economic and financial policy areas, including surveillance and lending activities, data and analytical exchange, capacity building, and the provision of technical assistance, in support of regional financial and economic stability.

Both sides affirmed that the MoU represents an important step toward deepening their strategic partnership and strengthening the regional financial safety net, serving member countries and enhancing their ability to address economic challenges.

Business

Saudi Chambers Federation Announces First Saudi-Kuwaiti Business Council

File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT
File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT
TT
TT

Saudi Chambers Federation Announces First Saudi-Kuwaiti Business Council

File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT
File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT

The Federation of Saudi Chambers announced the formation of the first joint Saudi-Kuwaiti Business Council for its inaugural term (1447–1451 AH) and the election of Salman bin Hassan Al-Oqayel as its chairman.

Al-Oqayel said the council’s formation marks a pivotal milestone in economic relations between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, reflecting a practical approach to enabling the business sectors in both countries to capitalize on promising investment opportunities and strengthen bilateral trade and investment partnerships, SPA reported.

He noted that trade between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait reached approximately SAR9.5 billion by the end of November 2025, including SAR8 billion in Saudi exports and SAR1.5 billion in Kuwaiti imports.

Business

Leading Harvard Trade Economist Says Saudi Arabia Holds Key to Success in Fragmented Global Economy

Professor Pol Antràs speaks during a panel discussion at the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies (Asharq Al-Awsat).
Professor Pol Antràs speaks during a panel discussion at the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies (Asharq Al-Awsat).
TT
TT

Leading Harvard Trade Economist Says Saudi Arabia Holds Key to Success in Fragmented Global Economy

Professor Pol Antràs speaks during a panel discussion at the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies (Asharq Al-Awsat).
Professor Pol Antràs speaks during a panel discussion at the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies (Asharq Al-Awsat).

Harvard University economics professor Pol Antràs said Saudi Arabia represents an exceptional model in the shifting global trade landscape, differing fundamentally from traditional emerging-market frameworks. He also stressed that globalization has not ended but has instead re-formed into what he describes as fragmented integration.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on the sidelines of the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies, Antràs said Saudi Arabia’s Vision-driven structural reforms position the Kingdom to benefit from the ongoing phase of fragmented integration, adding that the country’s strategic focus on logistics transformation and artificial intelligence constitutes a key engine for sustainable growth that extends beyond the volatility of global crises.

Antràs, the Robert G. Ory Professor of Economics at Harvard University, is one of the leading contemporary theorists of international trade. His research, which reshaped understanding of global value chains, focuses on how firms organize cross-border production and how regulation and technological change influence global trade flows and corporate decision-making.

He said conventional classifications of economies often obscure important structural differences, noting that the term emerging markets groups together countries with widely divergent industrial bases. Economies that depend heavily on manufacturing exports rely critically on market access and trade integration and therefore face stronger competitive pressures from Chinese exports that are increasingly shifting toward alternative markets.

Saudi Arabia, by contrast, exports extensively while facing limited direct competition from China in its primary export commodity, a situation that creates a strategic opportunity. The current environment allows the Kingdom to obtain imports from China at lower cost and access a broader range of goods that previously flowed largely toward the United States market.

Addressing how emerging economies should respond to dumping pressures and rising competition, Antràs said countries should minimize protectionist tendencies and instead position themselves as committed participants in the multilateral trading system, allowing foreign producers to access domestic markets while encouraging domestic firms to expand internationally.

He noted that although Chinese dumping presents concerns for countries with manufacturing sectors that compete directly with Chinese production, the risk is lower for Saudi Arabia because it does not maintain a large manufacturing base that overlaps directly with Chinese exports. Lower-cost imports could benefit Saudi consumers, while targeted policy tools such as credit programs, subsidies, and support for firms seeking to redesign and upgrade business models represent more effective responses than broad protectionist measures.

Globalization has not ended

Antràs said globalization continues but through more complex structures, with trade agreements increasingly negotiated through diverse arrangements rather than relying primarily on multilateral negotiations. Trade deals will continue to be concluded, but they are likely to become more complex, with uncertainty remaining a defining feature of the global trading environment.

Interest rates and artificial intelligence

According to Antràs, high global interest rates, combined with the additional risk premiums faced by emerging markets, are constraining investment, particularly in sectors that require export financing, capital expenditure, and continuous quality upgrading.

However, he noted that elevated interest rates partly reflect expectations of stronger long-term growth driven by artificial intelligence and broader technological transformation.

He also said if those growth expectations materialize, productivity gains could enable small and medium-sized enterprises to forecast demand more accurately and identify previously untapped markets, partially offsetting the negative effects of higher borrowing costs.

Employment concerns and the role of government

The Harvard professor warned that labor markets face a dual challenge stemming from intensified Chinese export competition and accelerating job automation driven by artificial intelligence, developments that could lead to significant disruptions, particularly among younger workers. He said governments must adopt proactive strategies requiring substantial fiscal resources to mitigate near-term labor-market shocks.

According to Antràs, productivity growth remains the central condition for success: if new technologies deliver the anticipated productivity gains, governments will gain the fiscal space needed to compensate affected groups and retrain the workforce, achieving a balance between addressing short-term disruptions and investing in long-term strategic gains.