U.S. Drone Delivery Firm Matternet Cleared to Fly in Saudi Arabia

Matternet, developer of the M2 drone, on Monday announced that it was cleared to fly by Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA). In a news release, Andreas Raptopoulos, founder and CEO of Matternet, said the firm will bring drone delivery to Riyadh, the Saudi capital.

“The Middle East is an exciting region for drone delivery, and Saudi Arabia represents the largest economy,” said Raptopoulos. “Riyadh will have autonomous drone delivery as a new layer of city infrastructure, enabling ultra-fast, cost-efficient, zero-emissions delivery for its businesses and residents.”

According to Matternet, GACA approved the company for operation after finding that the M2’s FAA type certification met its airworthiness standards. The drone received standard FAA type and production certificates in 2022 and remains the only nonmilitary uncrewed aircraft with those approvals. Competitors—including larger companies such as Zipline and Wing, the drone delivery arm of Google parent Alphabet—are also working toward type certification but have yet to obtain it.

In the U.S., Matternet drones fly for Part 135 cargo operators Ameriflight and UPS Flight Forward, the latter of which is authorized by the FAA to fly the M2 beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS) of the pilot. That exemption—also awarded to Zipline, Wing, and others in recent months—allows delivery drones to fly longer routes and reach more customers. Matternet in October also launched its own drone-to-home delivery pilot in controlled airspace over Silicon Valley.

Drone delivery in the U.S. is largely concentrated around suburban areas, such as neighborhoods in Dallas-Fort Worth and College Station, Texas. Riyadh, by contrast, has an estimated population north of 7 million people.

“We have seen rapid growth in the development and population of cities such as Riyadh,” Jason Secore, chief financial officer of Matternet, said in Monday’s news release. “This will create a greater need for delivery and lead to mounting pressure on the current infrastructure to keep up with demand.”

Matternet drones link to the company’s network of automated landing, unloading, and charging stations, which it leases to customers alongside the aircraft or operates itself. Taking up an area equivalent to two parking spots, these hubs are designed to give the drones a place to land in congested urban spaces.

Most drone operators, including Matternet in Silicon Valley, use their customers’ doorsteps as drop zones. But a network of landing stations spaced across a city could open up deliveries to apartment complexes, for example.

The Middle East has become something of an incubator for new aviation technology like drones and electric air taxis, with nations such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates investing millions of dollars to bring it to their cities. Matternet on Monday said it plans to continue growing its presence in the region, as well as in the U.S. and Europe.

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