Mosamania
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It is good and wonderful to get familiar with Saudi products specially of high technology type. I had just some rational and valid questions about products depicted here. No disrespect is meant at all, so no need to get paranoid. Genuine and serious questions only;
For example in this post above on this thread and its subsequent posts, the domain which is hosting the pictures of those products ( Al-Araba Group ) does not say on their site that they are producing those products. The website clearly refers to itself as a supply company distributing products. Their only factory/workshop is one that does some modifications to vehicles such as buses or SUV's altering seats, windows etc. For instance the detonator depicted in the post mentioned, can be actually seen on the domain website being manufactured by ABB precision of United Kingdom and not being Saudi made. Other products too which are mentioned on the website are actually not manufactured by the Saudi supply company which is actually a service provider and after sales helper for those foreign products.
Similarly in another post on this thread the machines shown are actually Chinese made equipment with the Chinese company name embossed on the pictures themselves.
In the same manner other products depicted are the ones supplied by Saudi companies which do not manufacture them indigenously or under license or even assemble them from imported knock down kits but simply supplied by foreign companies as per Saudi industrial specification with Saudi names but are actually foreign made. Which is not a bad thing in itself but I think readers here should not be misled to believe that they are entirely Saudi made. Correct me if I am wrong but a product can be called locally manufactured which is actually physically made in the country with most parts coming from local sources or atleast most of its technology being indigenous. For example in Pakistan Toyota Camry and Honda Civic are also made but those are not Pakistani products for the simple reason that they are made from knock down kits imported from abroad with a small percentage of parts procured locally and all of its technology being Japanese in origin.
In another example on this thread the Rovis and Panther radio military transceivers are shown which are actually products of European companies and there is no indication that Saudis have reverse engineered them or are making them locally either under a transfer of technology agreement or just assembling from imported knock down kits. I guess it is going to be much more meaningful if truly Saudi products are shown instead of posting random pictures from supply companies.
There are many levels of manufacturing from production of new inventions to reverse engineered products to assembling from imported kits. There is a difference between a workshop assembling a product in limited number from imported kits with a company that actually manufactures the mother machineries that are used in other factories to manufacture consumer, industrial or military products.
There is no need to misrepresent. Just simple search yields results that Saudis do actually make other stuff beside oil. I give an example below, but misleading others is not really a good character point for true Muslims.
Saudi Arabia is still importing most of its heavy and hitech machineries for its industries but they have started producing some products lately by diversifying such as steel and aluminium ( List of countries by steel production - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ):
I give here one example of a Saudi product from a Saudi company which is actually manufactured in Saudi Arabia rather than picking random pictures and posting them. I hope contributors to this thread also keep a professional attitude and contribute high quality posts without their personal prejudice:
Mitwalli Steel Company
You bring up valid points I must say and I kind of was pushed into making this thread so I just googled made in Saudi Arabia and posted the pics since it was late at night and I am busy except in the weekends for a real sit down and actual research. However the panther and rovis ARE made under license by AEC. I will make a more detailed thing when I am free and more on the weekends. I would make a complete reply to you but I am currently not that free I am afraid.