Defense and aerospace OEMs
Prime contractors and platform builders positioning for Saudi programs and long-term presence.
Saudi Market Entry
U.S. defense and aerospace market entry in Saudi Arabia
Axiom 22 Advisory is a U.S.-based defense and aerospace advisory firm helping American OEMs and technology manufacturers enter and expand in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. We help you read the market, build the right relationships, and turn market interest into market presence.
Orlando, Florida | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Who we help
Built for American companies with capability to bring to the Kingdom.
Tier suppliers
Component, subsystem and sustainment suppliers looking for a place in the local supply chain.
Technology manufacturers
Radar, counter-UAS, ISR, autonomy and defense electronics companies entering the region for the first time.
Aviation and MRO organizations
Maintenance, repair, training and sustainment providers building a regional base.
The market in brief
Why Saudi Arabia, and why the route to market matters.
- Under Saudi Vision 2030, the Kingdom aims to localize more than 50% of its military spending on equipment and services by 2030.
- GAMI reported in November 2024 that 19.35% of military spending had been localized, up from about 4% in 2018.
- The General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI), established in 2017, oversees military and security procurement, issues licenses and standards, and enforces localization through the Industrial Participation Program.
- Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI), also established in 2017, partners with international OEMs and includes a defense electronics unit covering radars, sensors, communications and electronic warfare.
- Sales of U.S.-origin defense articles can run through Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or as Direct Commercial Sales, and U.S. export controls (ITAR and EAR) shape both routes.
Sources: GAMI strategy, Argaam, November 2024, U.S. International Trade Administration.
How we support market entry
Five capabilities, from first read of the market to sustained presence.
01
Market Entry & Expansion
Market intelligence, entry planning, route-to-market options, regulatory and procurement navigation, and pathways to local presence.
02
Business & Opportunity Development
Identifying and qualifying the opportunities worth pursuing, and positioning early, long before a requirement becomes public.
03
Government & Stakeholder Engagement
Engaging the government, institutional, industry and commercial stakeholders the market requires, including exhibitions, delegations and meeting programs.
04
Partnership & Industrial Development
Finding and assessing credible Saudi partners, representation structures, supply-chain openings and localization pathways.
05
Representation & Market Integration
In-market representation for defined projects and opportunities, and the coordination that growth depends on.
Technology focus
The capability areas we cover.
Radar and sensors
Surveillance, fire control and air defense radars, and the sensors and payloads around them.
Counter-UAS
Detection, tracking and defeat systems for uncrewed aircraft threats.
ISR and mission systems
Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms, payloads and airborne data.
Air and missile defense
Integrated air and missile defense, C4I and communications.
Autonomous systems
Uncrewed air, surface and ground systems, autonomy software and airspace integration.
Aerospace and sustainment
Fixed and rotary wing, MRO, training and simulation.
Questions
Saudi defense market entry: common questions.
What does Axiom 22 Advisory do?
Axiom 22 Advisory is a U.S.-based defense and aerospace advisory firm helping American OEMs and technology manufacturers enter and expand in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. We support market entry, business and opportunity development, government and stakeholder engagement, partnership and industrial development, and in-market representation.
How does a U.S. defense company enter the Saudi market?
Most companies follow the same arc: read the market and the buying route first, then build standing, then pursue specific programs. In practice that means understanding who buys and through which structure, whether a sale runs through the U.S. government's Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program or as a Direct Commercial Sale, which licenses apply in the Kingdom, which Saudi partners are credible, and how the offer answers local content and industrial participation requirements. U.S. export controls (ITAR and EAR) apply to many of these sales, so the market plan should be built with your export compliance team from the start.
What is GAMI and why does it matter to American OEMs?
The General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI) is the Saudi regulator for the military industry, established in 2017. It oversees military and security procurement, issues licenses and standards for companies working in the sector, and enforces localization through the Industrial Participation Program. Any company planning to sell to, manufacture in, or partner within the Saudi defense sector needs to understand how GAMI shapes its route to market.
What are Saudi Arabia's defense localization goals?
Under Saudi Vision 2030, the Kingdom aims to localize more than 50% of its military spending on equipment and services by 2030. GAMI reported in November 2024 that 19.35% had been localized, up from about 4% in 2018. For foreign suppliers, this makes local partnerships, workshare, supply-chain participation and technology transfer central to winning work.
Do you work with radar, counter-UAS and ISR companies?
Yes. Our focus areas include aerospace and ISR (sensors, payloads and mission systems), air and missile defense, radar and defense electronics, counter-UAS, uncrewed and autonomous systems, and industrial positioning. Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI), established in 2017, includes a defense electronics unit covering radars, sensors, communications and electronic warfare, which is one reason these technologies draw strong local interest.
Where is Axiom 22 Advisory based?
Our U.S. base is in Orlando, Florida, and our regional base is in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from which we cover the wider Middle East and Gulf.
How do we start working with Axiom 22?
Tell us which market you are looking at and what you are trying to achieve there. Write to info@axiom22advisory.com or use the inquiry form on our website, and a member of the firm will respond directly.
Begin
Tell us which market you are looking at.
Share your company, your technology and what you are trying to achieve in Saudi Arabia, and a member of the firm will respond directly.
Send an inquiry info@axiom22advisory.com