In a landmark achievement for regional drone technology, two Pakistaniuniversities and one from Saudi Arabia have jointly designed, developed,and successfully tested a hybrid autopilot Vertical Take-Off and Landing(VTOL) drone intended for surveillance purposes. The collaborative projecthighlights growing capabilities in UAV innovation within the region.
According to a report published in *Dawn*, the project is the result of apartnership between King Abdullah University of Science and Technology(KAUST), Saudi Arabia; National Textile University (NTU), Faisalabad,Pakistan; and Pak-Austria Fachhochschule: Institute of Applied Sciences andTechnology (PAF-IAST), Haripur, Pakistan.
A number of prominent engineers from Pakistan’s leading academicinstitutions played key roles in the project. Among them were HassanIftikhar (Team Leader, National University / National Center of CompositeMaterials, Graduate Geeky), Dr. Naeemullah Khan (Deputy Director, KAUSTTextile Academy / Graduate Geeky), Dr. Sohail Malik (Head of MechanicalDepartment, PAF-IAST), Ayub Asghar (Director, Advanced Textile ResearchCenter, NTU), Sanam Khan (Project Engineer), and Farhan Ali Shami(Graduate, Air University).
On Saturday, Team Lead Hassan Iftikhar officially announced the successfulcompletion of the drone’s maiden flight, calling it a major milestone inthe development of next-generation UAV systems. He noted that the droneutilizes hybrid autopilot technology, enabling seamless transitions fromvertical take-off and landing to fixed-wing flight — a feature ideal forlong-range surveillance missions.
The team intends to transform this technological success into a jointcommercial venture. Plans are underway to develop lightweightcomposite-material drones for mass production, primarily aimed atintroducing advanced surveillance solutions in Saudi Arabia. These dronesare expected to support a variety of sectors including national security,environmental monitoring, disaster management, and commercial applications.
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Iftikhar explained that the UAV is fully electronic and capable of flyingfor up to one hour with a standard battery, while heavier batteries canextend flight duration to over three hours. Most of the drone’s componentshave been manufactured locally, with only a few imported from China.
Future development goals include integrating AI-based decision-makingsystems and solar-powered flight capabilities. Iftikhar emphasized thatwhile drone technology is often costly and dominated by advanced economies,the project’s core objective is to offer low-cost, affordable alternativeswithout compromising on performance.
This development marks a significant step forward in the localization andcommercialization of drone technology in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia,positioning both countries as emerging players in the rapidly evolving UAVindustry.