Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI), a state-owned defense company, is making strides in its commitment to diversify its leadership by welcoming Saudi female engineers to potentially lead the company in the future. SAMI’s CEO, Walid Abukhaled, sees this as a significant step in the company’s strategy to attract top talents, including female Saudis employed abroad, back to the Kingdom.
At the DSEI trade fair in London, Abukhaled emphasized that SAMI’s aspiration to have a female CEO is in line with the Saudi government’s goal of having 50% of all defense spending focused within the Kingdom by 2030. This ambitious target is part of Saudi Arabia’s broader Vision 2030 plan to reduce reliance on foreign military products and boost the domestic defense industry.Abukhaled stated, “I absolutely believe we will have a female chief executive of SAMI in the future. Maybe not in the immediate future, but it will happen.” He acknowledged that there are Saudi female engineers gaining valuable experience in Europe and the US who may return to contribute to SAMI’s growth.The defense sector has traditionally been male-dominated, but Saudi Arabia has been making strides in promoting gender equality in recent years.
Female participation in the Saudi labor market increased significantly, from 19.7% in 2018 to 33% by the end of 2020, representing a 64% increase in just two years. In the defense sector specifically, women now constitute 22% of the workforce, although their roles have primarily centered around human resources, finance, and legal departments.SAMI, established in 2017 as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund, has been actively working to enhance its capabilities through joint venture deals and memorandums of understanding with global defense companies. Partnerships with firms like Thales, CMI Defence, Boeing, and Naval Group demonstrate SAMI’s commitment to acquiring the expertise needed to fulfill its objectives.Abukhaled also discussed SAMI’s expansion plans through overseas acquisitions, emphasizing the need to identify gaps in capabilities before considering specific targets. He stated, “We want SAMI to be one of the top 25 companies in the world by 2030. We cannot do that all internally, and we will have to acquire ability from both inside and outside the Kingdom.
“In terms of localization efforts, Abukhaled expressed confidence in achieving the Kingdom’s 50% localization target, highlighting that SAMI has already exceeded this threshold for many contracts. He mentioned that more details about acquisitions and partnerships would be disclosed during the World Defence Show scheduled for March 2022 in Riyadh.While both Abukhaled and Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Al-Ohali, the governor of the Kingdom’s General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI), emphasized the progress made in the Saudi defense industry, they also stressed the importance of developing a local skill base aligned with the 2030 Vision program.
Al-Ohali underlined the need for a “healthy ecosystem” comprising research centers, universities, academic institutions, and public and private organizations to support the localization and growth of the defense sector.In conclusion, SAMI’s commitment to fostering gender diversity and envisioning a female CEO is a significant development in Saudi Arabia’s journey toward gender equality and economic diversification. The Kingdom’s efforts to empower women in various sectors, including defense, reflect its commitment to the goals of Vision 2030, positioning Saudi Arabia as a dynamic and inclusive player on the global stage.
