ARES Shipyard partners with Sat-el Arab to establish ARES Naval, launching shipyard operations in Dammam and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Antalya-based ARES Shipyard is making a significant investment in Saudi Arabia as part of its global expansion strategy. The company announced that it will establish a new company named 'ARES Naval' in collaboration with its local Saudi partner, Sat-el Arab, and will begin shipyard operations at two different locations within the Kingdom.
The Turkish shipbuilding company ARES Shipyard plans to establish a new company under the name ARES Naval in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in partnership with the local Saudi partner Sat-el Arab. ARES CEO Oğuzhan Pehlivanlı shared this information in a statement to Breaking Defense.
In an interview conducted in January, Pehlivanlı stated: 'Our goal is to establish two shipyards for ARES Naval in Saudi Arabia: one in Dammam and the other in Jeddah. Our ultimate aim is to have two shipyards focused on the production of marine platforms, supported by maintenance, repair, and modernization (MRO) services for end users.'
Pehlivanlı indicated that the majority of the shares in the newly established company would belong to ARES, emphasizing that ARES Shipyard would particularly focus on working with the new Saudi company and the government side. In this context, he highlighted the importance of collaboration with the Saudi maritime company Sofon. Pehlivanlı stated, 'Sofon is the main contractor responsible for marine projects and is the primary supplier to the Saudi Navy and Coast Guard.'
The ARES CEO stressed that the company's priority is 'export projects,' noting that they are in discussions to create a stronger presence in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region beyond the new partnership in Saudi Arabia. 'The GCC will be one of the most important export markets for ARES in the future,' he added.
Pehlivanlı spoke with Breaking Defense during the Dimdex 2026 maritime exhibition held in Qatar on January 19. At the exhibition, ARES showcased the ULAQ unmanned surface vehicle (USV) produced by the company at the Qatar Coast Guard stand. Pehlivanlı noted that the Qatar Coast Guard uses two ULAQ USVs for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions, but these are different from the Turkish Navy configuration.
'The Turkish configuration is a surface warfare version that also includes an optional anti-submarine warfare payload. It is 12 meters long. However, the 11-meter Qatar version is completely different. This is an ISR platform equipped with an electro-optical director and a remote-controlled weapon station,' he said.
Pehlivanlı added that the Qatar version of the ULAQ can be used in missions such as combating illegal immigration and refugee rescue operations, and it is equipped with life raft systems that can automatically deploy.
Pehlivanlı mentioned that ARES Shipyard is continuing discussions with the Qatar Coast Guard for larger ULAQ versions, stating, 'We are waiting for the evaluation from the Qatar Coast Guard Command.'
ARES Shipyard will also participate in the World Defense Show scheduled for next week. At the exhibition, they will showcase models of their systems and offer joint production options.
According to Pehlivanlı, joint production with Gulf countries is one of the company's core objectives. This approach aligns with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 program. Vision 2030 aims for 50% localization in the defense industry by 2030, requiring foreign companies to either produce locally in the Kingdom or engage in joint production with Saudi companies.
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
