EXCLUSIVE Turkey sells battle-tested drones to UAE as regional rivals mend ties – sources

Bayraktar TB2 drone stands near the logo of Baykar Turkish defence company inside a hall of 30th international Defence Industry Exhibition in Kielce, Poland September 5, 2022. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/
Summary
Summary Companies UAE and Saudi Arabia both seeking Turkey’s TB2 drones
Saudi Arabia wants to set up drone manufacturing plant – sources
Baykar drone-maker has three-year backlog of orders, CEO says
ANKARA, Sept 21 (Reuters) – 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.
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Now the United Arab Emirates and its ally Saudi Arabia are hoping to leverage their rapprochement with Turkey 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.