South Africa’s President Zuma Inaugurates Artillery Factory In Saudi Arabia
By Arab News
By Mohammed Radooldeen
South African President Jacob Zuma, who was on a one-day state visit to Riyadh on Sunday, opened a projectiles factory along with Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Both were taken on a tour by Mohamed Al-Mady, head of Saudi Military Industries Corporation. He briefed the visitors on the services and facilities at the new complex.
The complex features nine industrial buildings, each allocated to a specific productivity, such as processing, packaging, assembly and filling, destructive testing and nondestructive testing, heat and surface treatments.
The complex produces military projectiles ranging from shells of medium caliber such as mortar rounds (60mm, 81mm 120mm), artillery shells (105mm and 155mm) and heavy shells such as aircraft bombs weighing from 500 pounds to 2,000 pounds.
Al-Mady said the SR900 million Saudi Military Industries Corporation is a licensed company, which will be operating in alliance with South Africa-based Rheinmetall Denel Munition.
The facility is expected to produce 300 artillery shells or 600 mortar projectiles a day, Al-Mady said, adding that this plant would be managed by 130 engineers and operators.
South Africa-based RDM specializes in the development, design and manufacture of large- and medium-caliber ammunition families and is a world leader in the field of artillery, mortar and infantry systems as well as plant engineering.
