The notion of delegating the assembly, maintenance and advancement of Saudi military capabilities to a sovereign entity was first introduced by King Abdulaziz Al Saud in 1949. A Royal decree was issued, stipulating the establishment of a weapons and artillery plant, on September 8, 1950. Contract agreements were concluded with two corporations for the supply of the necessary equipment and apparatus to be installed at the premises of the new factory. This step was taken with a number of objectives in mind, chief of which was achieving self-sufficiency for the Saudi army. It sought to assert the sovereignty of the Kingdom’s Armed Forces and other military sectors in regard of weaponry and ammunition supplies, and aimed to further the training and employment of Saudi nationals. Another key objective was to successfully assimilate and implement relevant industry technologies. Production at the Ammunition Factory began in 1953, and was followed by projects to acquire the necessary expertise and to train local plant personnel. A new munitions factory was opened in Al-Kharj in 2016, in partnership with the German/South African company Rheinmetall Denel Munition.
Aims and objectives
MIC seeks to accommodate the needs and requirements of Saudi Arabia’s military sectors, acquiring technologies and building up military industries that are capable of keeping up with advancements in the Armed Forces. Its strategy includes:
Recruiting, developing and retaining a national work force. By agreement with the Ministry of Education it has awarded scholarships to 5,000 engineering students, who enter employment with the Corporation upon graduation.
Cooperating with private sector entities, internally and externally, especially in the field of joint manufacturing.
Conducting research in collaboration with national and international universities and research centers; enabling technology transfer among these institutes, and establishing its own research centers.
MIC is a public corporation enjoying independent financial and administrative status, applying Civil Service and Labor regulations with its employees. It has provided 1,200 housing units for employees, equipped with schools, convenience stores, and health and recreation facilities. It states that it supports its employees professionally and vocationally through training programs and skill-enhancing workshops.
