Matternet, the California-headquartered developer of the world’s leading urban drone delivery system, announced that it has received approval to operate its M2 drone in Saudi Arabia.
It is the first operator to receive such approval granted by Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), the company said.
The approval was granted after GACA found that the M2’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Type Certification issued by the US met the Saudi regulator’s airworthiness standards, Matternet said.
Matternet’s 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 honoured that Saudi Arabia recognises our dedication to safety and operational excellence,” said Andreas Raptopoulos, Founder and CEO of Matternet.
“The Middle East is an exciting region for drone delivery and Saudi Arabia represents the largest economy,” he said.
Raptopoulos said 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.
Matternet has been establishing key partnerships around the world to expand its footprint in recent years.
It made a foray into the Middle East market through a partnership with the Abu Dhabi Department of Health to provide city-wide medical delivery in 2021.
“We have seen rapid growth in the development and population of cities such as Riyadh,” Matternet Chief Financial Officer Jason Secore said, adding that “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 said.
Matternet said it plans to continue scaling operations in 2025 throughout the United States, Europe, and the Middle East.
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