Boeing has entered into a joint venture agreement with Saudia Aerospace Engineering Industries (SAEI) and Alsalam Aircraft Company establishing a Saudi Rotorcraft Support Center in Saudi Arabia.

With offices in Riyadh and Jeddah, the support centre will provide maintenance repair and overhaul services to rotorcraft fleet in the country.

The joint venture will service commercial and defence rotorcraft platforms such as the Boeing-built AH-64 Apache, CH-47 Chinook and AH-6i.

"The Saudi military will have a national asset that affordably enhances the readiness of their rotorcraft personnel and fleet."

Boeing’s global services and support business president Leanne Caret said: "The Saudi Rotorcraft Support Center builds upon our decades-long partnership with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

"When it’s fully operational, the Saudi military will have a national asset that affordably enhances the readiness of their rotorcraft personnel and fleet."

The companies plan to expand the country’s workforce by creating self-sustaining jobs and technical skills development for local workers.

SAEI CEO Nader A Khalawi said: "This project will strengthen and diversify the Saudi nationals’ skills and provide long-term investment in our company’s future workforce, contributing to the kingdom goals of localisation, economic growth, and transfer of state-of-the art technology and know-how.

"Designed to meet the growing demand for support to the kingdom’s expanding fleet of military and civil helicopters, this is an in-country capability of which we can all be proud."

The companies plan to form the joint venture this year or early next year. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed.