RIYADH — This year’s inaugural World Defense Show, which showcased more than 450 leading defense firms from around 37 countries, owes its astounding success to not only this confluence of regional and global industry giants, but also to the countless local innovations unveiled throughout the four-day event.

One WDS stand-out was the SAMI CMI Defence Systems LLC’s (SAMICMI), known as the ROAYA Series Turret System, the first-ever 100% Saudi Intellectual Property Weapons System to be developed locally in collaboration with Saudi defense sectors.

A joint venture between SAMI and John Cockerill Defense, SAMICMI showcased the ROAYA system alongside its latest offerings at WDS’s SAMI pavilion. It is the first in an exciting new generation of defense technologies produced by and for the Kingdom. Its launch signals Saudi Arabia’s rapidly maturing pool of national talents after years of specialized knowledge exchange efforts.

This lightweight, multi-mission-ready system can be armed with a 7.62 or 12.7mm caliber machine gun or a 40 mm caliber grenade launcher. This state-of-the-art weapon system is fully armored, controlled remotely, reloaded from inside the platform via its internal ammunition storage and enhanced with stabilization and target tracking Developed with advanced technology that has been integrated by Saudi Engineers with support from Subject Matter Experts, it is ideally suited to the Saudi Armed Forces’ unique needs and requirements.

The innovative new system marks a genuine step forward for the Kingdom’s defense industry, which is localizing across every level and sector at a staggering pace. SAMICMI, as a company that specializes in the design, development, production, and sustainment of turrets and integrated defense systems solutions, sees the ROAYA system as a milestone effort in their drive for enhanced local capabilities in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 objectives. — SG