GCC Drones Market Analysis
The GCC Drones Market size is estimated at USD 1 billion in 2025, and is expected to reach USD 1.8 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 12.44% during the forecast period (2025-2030).
For years, the commercial sector largely overlooked the GCC drone market, which lingered in its infancy. Initially, drones were confined to military applications. However, in the past decade, they've made significant inroads into the commercial landscape. Now, governments deploy drones for a range of tasks, from surveillance and border patrol to infrastructure inspections.
Drones have become pivotal across various industries. The oil and gas sector uses them for monitoring, agriculture employs them for crop surveillance and precision farming, and real estate relies on drones for surveying and overseeing construction sites. Emergency services, too, harness drones for swift disaster responses and search-and-rescue operations, underscoring their ability to navigate challenging terrains.
Drone adoption in the GCC has surged in recent years. With regional regulations on drone usage becoming more lenient, civilian end-users in GCC nations are enjoying greater freedoms. This trend is poised to enhance the market's outlook. However, challenges loom, particularly from the region's volatile inter-country relations and recent drone attacks on oil production facilities.
GCC Drones Market Trends
The Construction Segment is Expected to Dominate the Market During the Forecast Period
From overseeing land surveillance during the construction's inception to conducting on-site visual inspections of high-risk areas, drones have become pivotal in the construction industry for communication and management. They offer a bird's-eye view, aiding site managers in making informed decisions and enhancing operational efficiency. With GCC nations eyeing significant economic and social transformations, they have earmarked nearly USD 1 trillion for megaproject investments.
The GCC is currently witnessing the development of 30 real estate megaprojects, all slated for completion within this decade. Consequently, many regional construction firms and real estate developers embrace drone technology. Notably, drones are crucial in minimizing manual inspections, reducing human contact at sites, and ensuring workforce safety.
Highlighting this trend, in October 2023, ADNOC partnered with EDGE Group PJSC. This collaboration paved the way for ADNOC and EDGE's autonomous systems division, ADASI, to forge a commercial agreement. This agreement focuses on deploying specialized drones for greenhouse gas leak detection and detailed site asset inspections. Such initiatives are poised to propel the market in the coming years.
The United Arab Emirates is Expected to Dominate the Market During the Forecast Period
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has positioned itself as a key player in the region, with a rising demand for drone technology. As industries increasingly recognize the advantages of drones, their adoption is set to surge. To cater to this escalating demand, the private sector and the government are gearing up to invest in R&D, regulatory frameworks, and local drone production. Moreover, many companies are forming strategic alliances, spanning industries like drone-based cargo delivery, oil and gas, and beyond, to capitalize on the nation's market potential. A prime example is the collaboration between Dronamics, a cargo drone airline, and the UAE's Strategic Development Fund (SDF) in November 2023, which culminated in a joint venture (JV) to manufacture Black Swan cargo drones. This JV is slated to establish a production plant for the Black Swan aircraft, with operations commencing in the Emirates by 2025.
Similarly, in October 2023, Emirates Post Group (EPG) and SkyGo, an aerial logistics provider, sealed a deal to introduce drone-powered logistics and delivery services in Abu Dhabi. This move aligns with EPG's vision of a future where drone-powered services revolutionize last-mile logistics, offering speed, efficiency, and environmental sustainability.
Highlighting its commitment to drone innovation, the country witnessed Dubai Future Labs (DFF) and Emirati tech firm Eanan join forces in November 2023. Under this partnership, Dubai Future Labs, a DFF subsidiary, may bolster several of Eanan's pioneering drone projects. The overarching goal is to elevate drone applications in transport and shipping, solidifying the United Arab Emirates' global standing as a hub for testing and deploying cutting-edge technologies.
GCC Drones Industry Overview
The GCC drone market is consolidated with prominent players such as SZ DJI Technology Co. Ltd, Primoco UAV SE, Parrot Drones SAS, Yuneec Holding Ltd., and FalconViz. In recent years, the surge in commercial drone applications has attracted a wave of new entrants. Manufacturers are rolling out fresh drone models tailored for diverse end-user needs. Furthermore, drone makers are teaming up with service providers to amplify drone-based services across the region.
Eniverse Technologies, Fetchr, and Skycart have recently collaborated to pioneer autonomous drone operations in the United Arab Emirates. These strategic partnerships are poised to draw fresh investments into the drone industry and fuel its growth. Moreover, increasing government backing sets the stage for a surge in market entrants, heightening competition in the coming years.
GCC Drones Market Leaders
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SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd.
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Parrot Drones SAS
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Primoco UAV SE
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Yuneec Holding Ltd.
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FalconViz
- *Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order
GCC Drones Market News
- January 2025: Matternet, a drone delivery company hailing from California, has made a notable stride in its worldwide expansion. The company revealed it has secured the green light from Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) to deploy its M2 drone delivery system. This achievement is historic, as it's the inaugural instance of a drone operator being sanctioned to offer delivery services within the Kingdom.
- June 2024: AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc., a provider of comprehensive flight hardware, sensors, and software for both commercial and government applications, has announced a significant milestone. The company has clinched a purchase order to supply 20 eBee VISION full-stack systems, complete with control systems, batteries, backpacks, and select spares, to a prominent distributor in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This system contract is projected to be valued at around USD 2 million.
GCC Drones Industry Segmentation
A drone is a technological device that operates without a human pilot onboard. It is equipped with remote control systems or autonomous programming, allowing it to navigate the air rapidly. Drones have diverse applications in civilian and military domains, such as photography, surveillance, agriculture, and recreational activities. These versatile devices feature cameras or sensors that capture high-quality images or data, making them practical tools in various industries.
The GCC drone market is segmented by application and geography. By application, the market is divided into construction, agriculture, energy, entertainment, law enforcement, and other applications. The other applications segment includes the deployment of drones for operations such as firefighting and aerial mapping. The report also offers the market size and forecasts for the drone market in six countries in the region. The report offers the market size and forecasts in value (USD) for all the above segments.
Application | Construction |
Agriculture | |
Energy | |
Entertainment | |
Law Enforcement | |
Other Applications | |
Geography | Saudi Arabia |
United Arab Emirates | |
Qatar | |
Kuwait | |
Bahrain | |
Oman |
GCC Drones Market Research FAQs
How big is the GCC Drones Market?
The GCC Drones Market size is expected to reach USD 1 billion in 2025 and grow at a CAGR of 12.44% to reach USD 1.8 billion by 2030.
What is the current GCC Drones Market size?
In 2025, the GCC Drones Market size is expected to reach USD 1 billion.
Who are the key players in GCC Drones Market?
SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd., Parrot Drones SAS, Primoco UAV SE, Yuneec Holding Ltd. and FalconViz are the major companies operating in the GCC Drones Market.
What years does this GCC Drones Market cover, and what was the market size in 2024?
In 2024, the GCC Drones Market size was estimated at USD 0.88 billion. The report covers the GCC Drones Market historical market size for years: 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. The report also forecasts the GCC Drones Market size for years: 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029 and 2030.
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GCC Drones Industry Report
Statistics for the 2025 GCC Drones market share, size and revenue growth rate, created by Mordor Intelligence™ Industry Reports. GCC Drones analysis includes a market forecast outlook for 2025 to 2030 and historical overview. Get a sample of this industry analysis as a free report PDF download.