HEET Armored Vehicles mark a transformative milestone in Saudi Arabia’s defense industrial sovereignty as SAMI Land Company unveiled this fully indigenous program at World Defense Show 2026. Developed with complete Saudi intellectual property and designed entirely by national talent, the HEET Program represents the Kingdom’s strategic leap toward operational independence and advanced military-industrial capabilities.
The program will be manufactured at the SAMI Land Industrial Complex in Riyadh, the largest fully integrated facility of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa. Spanning 82,000 square meters within a one-million-square-meter industrial zone, the complex operates according to Industry 4.0 standards, leveraging artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and advanced robotics to ensure precision and quality that meet the highest international benchmarks.
Advanced Manufacturing Hub Creates 1,000 Jobs
The SAMI Land Industrial Complex serves as a strategic foundation for the Kingdom’s land-systems manufacturing base, functioning as a national hub for local production, technology transfer, and workforce development. The facility will create more than 1,000 high-quality jobs for Saudi nationals and operate as a center of excellence for the manufacture, testing, and lifecycle support of wheeled and tracked armored vehicles and turrets.
With an annual production capacity of up to 1,500 military vehicles, the complex reinforces supply chain resilience and strengthens defense industrial readiness at scale. This capability positions Saudi Arabia as a growing regional hub for advanced defense manufacturing, supporting the objectives of Vision 2030.
HEET Armored Vehicles Portfolio and Capabilities
The HEET portfolio includes 4×4, 6×6, and 8×8 advanced wheeled armored vehicles engineered specifically for ground operations. These platforms are designed to support border protection, reconnaissance, rapid response, and field operations across diverse mission profiles. The vehicles offer superior mobility across urban, desert, and off-road environments, with integrated command-and-control systems and optional manned or unmanned configurations.
Key features of HEET Armored Vehicles include high ballistic protection, modular design for operational flexibility, advanced systems integration, and reduced lifecycle costs compared to global competitors in the same category. The program also supports integration of the ROAYA Remote Turret 12.7mm, equipped with high-accuracy day and night targeting systems while providing full crew protection. The platform is further designed to accommodate a 105mm turret for direct fire support capabilities based on operational requirements.
Strategic Vision for Defense Localization
“The launch of the HEET Program reflects a decisive step in building an integrated national defense and security industry rooted in Saudi expertise and full in-Kingdom design, development, and production. The program is engineered to support border protection, reconnaissance, rapid response, and land operations, meeting the evolving needs of our military and security forces while enhancing Armed Forces readiness to the highest global standards.”
Eng. Mohammed Al Hodaib, CEO of SAMI Land Company
Al Hodaib emphasized that the program represents confidence in Saudi capabilities and a firm commitment to building sustainable sovereign capacity, strengthening local supply chains, and advancing Vision 2030 objectives. The initiative reflects the Kingdom’s transition toward deeper engineering ownership and sovereign manufacturing in the land domain.
Future Outlook for Saudi Defense Industry
Through the HEET Program, SAMI continues to advance its role in shaping a resilient national defense ecosystem, accelerating localization and strengthening sovereign industrial depth. The program has been developed by Saudi engineers and specialists within an advanced industrial environment that reflects the maturity of national capabilities and readiness to deliver long-term, strategically significant defense programs.
This launch reinforces Saudi Arabia’s position as an emerging leader in defense manufacturing within the region, demonstrating the Kingdom’s commitment to operational independence and technological advancement in military systems. The HEET Program stands as a testament to national ambition and the successful cultivation of indigenous defense industrial capabilities.