Newly launched SAMI Composites LLC facility will manufacture composite aerospace components, assemblies

Aiming to bolster Saudi Arabia’s capabilities in aerospace and defense manufacturing, Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI, Riyadh), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), has announced the launch of its composite manufacturing facility, SAMI Composites LLC, to produce composite parts for structural aerospace subassemblies.

SAMI Composites LLC has an area of 27,000 square meters with 10,000 square meters of production and support buildings. The facility can produce composite structural components and assemblies, including fuselage and wing parts, skin panels and moveable surfaces, via its state-of-the-art systems and equipment. The facility has a 2,268-square-meter cleanroom, advanced precision equipment including a 13-meter-long, 6.9-meter-diameter autoclave, five-axis CNCs, a nondestructive inspection (NDI) gantry robot and automated tape laying (ATL) and automated fiber placement (AFP) machines. 

“In line with our commitment to supporting the achievement of Vision 2030 goals, we at SAMI have a strong focus on developing Saudi Arabia’s capabilities in the aerospace and defense industry,” says H.E. Ahmed Al-Khateeb, chairman of SAMI. “The new composite manufacturing facility represents a significant step forward in this mission as it will play an instrumental role in driving the localization of our competencies through partnerships with globally renowned OEMs besides boosting our aerospace exports and developing the technical skills of Saudi nationals in the defense industries sector.”

SAMI will be partnering with a leading international OEM for the project in order to facilitate the transfer of technology and knowledge to enhance the local capabilities of the Saudi military industries sector. SAMI Composites LLC expects to enhance the Saudi aerospace supply chain by using raw composite materials, production consumables and manufacturing tooling. In addition, it will create 28 new high-skill jobs in 2022, with the number expected to rise to 90 in subsequent years.

Though SAMI Composites’ primary aim is to manufacture and assemble complex aerostructure components for both military and civil fixed-wing and rotary aircraft, it has the potential to serve other industries, including transportation, construction, agriculture and healthcare, considering the increasing demand for composite materials in these sectors.