Paris: Multinational defense and civil company Thales is committed to strengthening its presence in Saudi Arabia and expanding its operations to align with the country’s Vision 2030 initiative, one of the company’s top executives told Arab News.
Thales International President Pascal Surise said at the Paris airport that the company is not only strengthening the government’s defense sector, but is working extensively in other sectors such as security, civil aviation and higher education.
Thales focuses on areas such as defense and security, aeronautics and space, digital identity and security. It currently employs 77,000 people in 68 countries.
The company has been a trusted partner in Saudi Arabia for more than 50 years, constantly expanding its footprint in the region, Surise added, “The first sector we work in Saudi Arabia is defense.”
“We support all the armed forces in Saudi Arabia: air force, army, land force, navy, so that’s a very strong presence.”
In line with the Vision 2030 strategy to transition the kingdom’s economy away from oil by 2020, in 2020 Thales established a joint venture with Saudi Arabia’s Military Industries, SAMI Thales Electronic System.
Surise emphasized the importance of a strong Saudi supply chain: “It is important to have enough players from the Saudi supply chain, not just a supply chain from other countries around the world.”
Emphasizing the goal of serving customers’ needs, especially in the areas of air defense and radio communication, Thales plans to expand the team of engineers in Saudi Arabia to more than 300 to 400 people in the next two years.
This ambitious approach is in line with the company’s commitment to execute award-winning projects and provide comprehensive support to the installation site directly from Saudi Arabia.
While defense has been Tels’ core business in Saudi Arabia for decades, the company is expanding its focus to other sectors as well.
It has provided security systems for the holy sites in Mecca and Medina and was recently selected to provide security solutions for the archaeological site of Al-Ula in northeastern Saudi Arabia. Thales is looking for opportunities to provide security solutions for projects like NEOM and Red Sea.
“The competencies and capabilities we are building in Saudi Arabia are not only designed to serve the Saudi market,” Surise said, stressing the importance of exporting from Saudi Arabia.
Highlights
• The company has been a trusted partner in Saudi Arabia for over 50 years, constantly expanding its footprint in the region.
• In the year In 2020, Thales formed a joint venture with Saudi Arabian Military Industries, SAMI Thales Electronic System, with the aim of building capacity and localizing the complete value chain in Saudi Arabia.
• While defense has been Tels’ core business in Saudi Arabia for decades, the company is expanding its focus to other sectors.
• It has provided security systems for the holy sites in Mecca and Medina and was recently selected to provide security solutions for the Alula archeological site.
• Thales is looking for opportunities to provide security solutions for projects like NEOM and Red Sea.
By incorporating these capabilities into its global network, Thales aims to serve customers beyond the Middle East, further strengthening its position as a global leader.
During the interview, Sourice shed light on Thales’ involvement in civil aviation and air traffic management.
The company is working closely with the Kingdom’s General Civil Aviation Authority to develop activities in these fields. One of the company’s key products in this field is “flight to door” – which uses biometric sensors to identify people directly.
Sorice said: “When using an end-to-end solution, you can enter a home, provide the necessary information and then be identified at checkpoints with biometric solutions.
“This allows the operator to reduce the time spent at the checkpoints by at least 30 percent. It is therefore very efficient to manage passenger flows and ensure that the passenger experience is really enhanced because there is no need to queue up at all these checkpoints. Technology and innovation remain central to Thales’ approach. The company is committed to optimizing the system. , uses AI and digital solutions to improve user experience and ensure maximum security.
Thales also places great emphasis on sustainability and aims to continue to develop the green aspects of its solutions.
Sorisse emphasized Thales’ commitment to research and development, with an annual investment of more than 4 billion euros.
To ensure a skilled workforce, the company collaborates with universities to conduct in-house training programs to equip engineers with the specialized knowledge required for their skills, products and solutions.
Diversity and gender equality are also at the forefront of Thales’ agenda. Surisee expressed her delight at identifying highly motivated and qualified female engineers in Saudi Arabia and outlined the company’s plans to hire more female talent.
Thales is not the only France-based firm to see growth opportunities in the kingdom.
The Paris Air Show also saw the signing of an agreement between Saudi Arabia and French aerospace company Safran, which will help Aircraft Accessories & Components Co., a subsidiary of the Saudi defense firm, provide landing maintenance services for major helicopters such as the Super Puma and Cougar. .
Like Sourice, Sammy’s CEO, Walid Abukhaled, wanted to talk about the importance of the deals to boost the kingdom’s production capacity.
Speaking to Arab News during the air show, he said, “During the COVID-19 pandemic, all OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) have faced major supply chain challenges, not only in defense but also in the automotive industry.” Industry, every industry. Now I believe Saudi Arabia will be a great resource for all those OEMs.
He added: “We have already worked and discussed with all our partners and other OEMs and there are real opportunities. In the year We will inform them at the World Defense Show in February 2024… how Saudi companies are becoming part of global supply chains.
The executive reiterated that SAMI aims to become one of the top 25 defense companies globally by 2030.
Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 initiative includes relocating more than 50 percent of military equipment spending, transferring knowledge and technology, and increasing national expertise in manufacturing, maintenance, and research and development.
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