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The drone delivery service is expected to kickstart in Saudi Arabia later this year after a US company has become the first such operator to obtain an official approval to deliver the service in the kingdom. Matternet, a California-based developer of commercial drone delivery systems for urban and suburban environments, said the company has been approved by Saudi authorities to operate its M2 drone there, becoming the first operator to receive such approval.
The approval was granted by Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) after the latter determined that the M2’s Federal Aviation Administration Type Certification issued by the US met GACA airworthiness standards. The company noted that its M2 drone delivery system became the first to achieve FAA Type Certification in September 2022.
“We are proud to have received this acceptance from GACA and are honored that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia recognizes our dedication to safety and operational excellence,” Andreas Raptopoulos, the founder and CEO of Matternet, said in a statement.
“The Middle East is an exciting region for drone delivery and Saudi Arabia represents the largest economy. Riyadh will have autonomous drone delivery as a new layer of city infrastructure, enabling ultra-fast, cost-efficient, zero-emissions delivery for its businesses and residents,” Raptopoulos said.
In 2021, the company entered the Middle East market through a partnership with the Abu Dhabi Department of Health to provide city-wide medical delivery. “We have seen rapid growth in the development and population of cities such as Riyadh,” Matternet Chief Financial Officer Jason Secore said.
“This will create a greater need for delivery, and lead to mounting pressure on the current infrastructure to keep up with demand. Drone delivery will play a key role in managing these challenges in a timely and scalable manner,” he added. The delivery business has thrived in Saudi Arabia in recent years. More than 200 million delivery operations were performed in the kingdom in 2023, according to official figures.
