TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Saudi Arabia was the largest buyer of Taiwanese drones in June, purchasing US$47.2 million (NT$1.52 billion) worth of them.
According to data released by the finance ministry last week, the June purchase also set a record for monthly drone exports to a single country since official statistics began in June 2023, per Bloomberg.
Saudi Arabia purchased drones weighing between seven and 15 kg on average, making them suitable for a range of civilian and military applications, Bloomberg reported. Their intended purpose has not been disclosed.
Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), director of the Institute for National Defense and Security Research's Defense Strategy and Resources Division, told Bloomberg the drones were likely acquired for reconnaissance.
The Lai administration is positioning Taiwan's emerging drone industry as an alternative to China's supply chain in international markets. Taiwan's drone exports surged 20-fold from a year earlier to NT$2.99 billion last year, according to Bloomberg.
The Czech Republic and Poland had previously been Taiwan's largest purchasers because they served as transit hubs for shipments to Ukraine. Taiwan accelerated the development of its domestic drone industry after observing Ukraine's use of them to counter Russia's invasion, exporting 181,159 drones in the first four months of this year, per The Straits Times.
The government has introduced policies to boost drone exports, with more than 267 firms now operating in the sector, including system integration, flight control, and related fields, per Liberty Times. The economic affairs ministry aims to increase monthly drone production capacity from 15,000 units to 100,000 by 2030 while raising exports from 20% to 50% of the industry's total output value, per CNA.
