Muscat – In a significant leap for the Middle East’s aviation and logistics sector, the Sultanate of Oman has officially inaugurated the “Sahm” unmanned aerial vehicle, the first strategic cargo drone of its kind to be assembled locally. The unveiling took place at the Military Technological College during the “Sky Bridge” event, held under the patronage of by H E Saeed bin Hamood al Mawali, Minister of Transport, Communications and Information Technology. The ceremony was attended by high-ranking officials, including Dr Mohammed Nasser al Zaabi, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Defence, alongside senior military commanders and industry executives.
The inaugural flight of the Sahm drone served as a practical demonstration of its advanced capabilities, successfully transporting a 100-kg payload of medical supplies from the Military Technological College to Jabal Akhdar. Navigating approximately 100 km of challenging mountainous terrain and deep valleys, the aircraft proved its ability to establish secure, high-speed supply lines to remote and geographically isolated regions. While the test flight highlighted its immediate utility, the Sahm is designed for even more demanding strategic operations, boasting a maximum payload capacity of 250 kg and an operational range of up to 300 km.
Mohammed bin Abdullah al Harthi, CEO of Ibn Firnas Drone Center, expressed immense pride in the achievement, noting that the project was executed entirely by Omani experts. He emphasised that the “Sky Bridge” initiative aims to localise the production of advanced unmanned systems, moving beyond theoretical innovation to provide tangible solutions for the health and logistics sectors. Alongside the Sahm, the Ibn Firnas Centre showcased other proprietary technologies, including a specialized Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM) platform and high-precision monitoring drones, further solidifying Oman’s position as a regional pioneer in the future of autonomous aerial logistics.\
