Turkish defence firm Baykar delivers dozens armed drones to United Arab Emirates

Turkish defence firm Baykar has delivered 20 armed drones to the United Arab Emirates this month and could sell more, two Turkish sources said, as a diplomatic detente between the former regional rivals expands into military contracts. International demand for Baykar's drones soared after their impact on conflicts in Syria, Ukraine and Libya, where their laser-guided armour-piercing bombs helped repel an offensive by UAE-supported forces two years ago. That civil war in Libya was one of several theatres where the two countries played out a bitter, decade-long battle for influence in the Middle East, until a reconciliation last year. Now the United Arab Emirates and its ally Saudi Arabia are hoping to leverage their rapprochement with Türkiye to counter a growing security challenge from Iran and its proxy forces, military sources say. Both Gulf Arab oil states have faced drone attacks on cities and oil facilities that they blamed on Iran-aligned Houthi fighters in Yemen. A source with knowledge of the talks said Abu Dhabi and Riyadh were negotiating to acquire Bayraktar TB2 drones from Ankara. A senior Turkish official confirmed Türkiye has delivered some drones to the United Arab Emirates and that the UAE was seeking more. Saudi Arabia also wanted to buy armed drones and to set up a factory to manufacture them, the official said. The official said Baykar was considering the Saudi request for a manufacturing plant but said that was a strategic decision for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and that other issues, such as Saudi investments in Türkiye, 'are not moving as fast as possible'. Baykar, the UAE foreign ministry and Saudi Arabia's government communications office did not respond to a request for comment. Türkiye's Defence Ministry referred questions to the state's defence industries group, which declined to comment. The company's only other production facilities outside Türkiye are being built in Ukraine, where Bayraktar TB2s helped undermine Russia's overwhelming military superiority in the weeks following Moscow's February invasion. Baykar's battlefield successes have helped it spearhead Türkiye's lucrative military exports drive. CEO Haluk Bayraktar, who runs the company with his brother Selçuk - President Erdoğan's son-in-law - said last month Baykar had signed export contracts for the TB2 with 22 countries. It currently produces 20 Bayraktar TB2 drones a month, he told a Ukrainian military services foundation in August, and its order book for those drones and other models was full for the next three years. 'There are requests for armed drones from many countries and regions,' the senior Turkish official said. 'Some countries that have bought them are making additional demands. They are very satisfied with the results... but it is technically not possible to meet all demand.' the official added.