- MoU sets up collaboration on industrial development, commercial deployment and
investment opportunities for Advanced Air Mobility in Saudi Arabia - Vertical believed to be the only eVTOL OEM actively assessing both in-country
manufacturing and investment opportunities with a Ministerial body in the Kingdom - Partnership aligned to the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 and Vertical’s global scale-up strategy
Vertical Aerospace announced the signing of a strategic three-party Memorandum of Understanding (“MoU”) with Abdel Hadi Abdullah Al-Qahtani & Sons Group of Companies (Tariq Al-Qahtani & Brothers) (“AHQ Group”), a leading Saudi industrial conglomerate, and the Saudi National Industrial Development Centre (“NIDC”), part of the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources.
The MoU, signed in Riyadh, establishes a framework to explore the development of a long term Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) ecosystem in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, aligned with Vision 2030, the country’s national programme to diversify its economy and build advanced industrial capability.
Building an AAM ecosystem aligned with Vision 2030
Under the MoU, the parties will evaluate a broad set of opportunities spanning manufacturing localization, commercial eVTOL operations and potential investment and incentive opportunities, supporting Vertical’s certification programme and long-term growth. Saudi Arabia represents one of the largest and most attractive emerging markets for AAM globally, with the potential to support the operation of over 1,000 Valo aircraft – Vertical’s industry leading commercial aircraft.
As a leading Saudi industrial group, AHQ Group will support the evaluation of industrial, commercial and investment structures required to establish a scalable and sustainable AAM ecosystem in the Kingdom.
Together, Vertical, AHQ Group and NIDC will explore how Saudi Arabia can become a regional hub for electric aircraft manufacturing, battery systems and AAM services, supporting Vision 2030’s ambitions for industrial diversification, highly skilled job creation and clean transport.
Stuart Simpson, CEO of Vertical Aerospace, said: “Saudi Arabia is one of the most strategically important future markets for Advanced Air Mobility. Signing this MoU here in Riyadh reflects the Kingdom’s ambition to build a world class aerospace industrial capability under Vision 2030. Partnering with AHQ Group and NIDC brings together deep industrial expertise, capital strength and a shared commitment to establishing Saudi Arabia as a regional leader in this new sector.”
Chairman Tariq Abdel Hadi Al-Qahtani, AHQ Group, said: “Advanced Air Mobility represents a new frontier for Saudi Arabia’s industrial and mobility ambitions. Through this MoU with Vertical Aerospace and NIDC, we are exploring potential investment opportunities to build a scalable, globally competitive AAM ecosystem that combines advanced manufacturing, sustainable mobility and long-term economic value.AHQ Group brings deep industrial experience and local insight, and we see this partnership as an important step in supporting Vision 2030’s goals for diversification, innovation and high-quality job creation.”
Eng Saleh Al Solami, CEO of the National Industrial Development Centre (NIDC), added: “This MoU reflects NIDC’s mandate to enable advanced industries and attract high value manufacturing to the Kingdom. Advanced Air Mobility has the potential to become a strategic industrial sector for Saudi Arabia, spanning aircraft manufacturing, battery systems and future mobility services. Working with Vertical Aerospace and AHQ Group allows us to assess potential pathways for localisation, investment and incentives, positioning the Kingdom as a regional hub for next-generation aerospace technologies in line with Vision 2030.”
Valo will be Vertical’s certification electric aircraft, designed to fly up to 160km at speeds of 240 km/h with zero operating emissions and engineered to meet airliner-level safety standards. Vertical is also developing a hybrid-electric variant, offering increased range and mission flexibility. Valo has been engineered to operate in hot, high-demand environments,making it particularly well-suited to Saudi Arabia and the wider GCC region. Key characteristics include:
- High payload capability to support full commercial operations in extreme heat;
- Operating performance up to 50 degrees Celsius or 122 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Advanced thermal management systems to ensure reliability, performance and
passenger comfort. - Batteries installed in the fuselage, thermally isolated from solar radiation and extreme heat.
- Designed to the most rigorous safety standards under UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)
and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification requirements.
