RIYADH: The Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (MODON) in Riyadh has signed a land-lease contract with INTRA Defense Technologies for the development of unmanned aircraft systems. Khalid Al-Salem, director-general of MODON, said: “We are proud that our industrial cities are the first to embrace the drone industry. We have signed in Riyadh a land-lease contract with INTRA Defense Systems to set up a project to develop and manufacture unmanned aircraft systems.” Military industries have support activities and services, in addition to the development of communication and information technology fields, all of which help in developing local talents that contribute to the development of the national economy, he said. Al-Salem said that strategic cooperation was launched in 2019 between MODON and the General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI) to promote the localization of military industries and support the Kingdom’s goal of making the military industries sector an important asset for economic development. “Through this cooperation, licensed investors in the targeted fields will be directed to MODON industrial cities, which, in turn, will provide packages to encourage investors in this sector,” he said. “The two sides will work to establish industrial clusters for the targeted military sectors within the industrial cities. They will also provide options for investors to support the establishment and empowerment of projects and ensure their expansion, sustainability and development.” Al-Salem said that MODON attracted Science Technology Company to establish a complex for the military industries in Al-Kharj Industrial City. MODON is seeking to enhance its partnerships with the public and private sectors to attract investments in the military sector to its industrial cities.