Middle East and Africa Drone Services Market Analysis
The Middle East And Africa Drone Services Market size is estimated at USD 1.77 billion in 2025, and is expected to reach USD 9.26 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 28.15% during the forecast period (2025-2030).
The demand for drones is experiencing significant growth across the Middle East and Africa. In the Middle East, countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Israel, and Egypt collectively account for over seventy thousand active major construction projects. The construction industry is driving drone adoption for applications including 2D and 3D modeling and mapping, land surveying, progress monitoring, waste reduction, and job site surveillance, thereby fueling market growth in the region.
In Africa, drone adoption is expanding across various sectors, particularly in postal delivery and agriculture. The agriculture sector in Africa is witnessing the highest demand for drones, with applications such as soil scanning (monitoring nitrogen content and electrical conductivity), crop monitoring, pesticide spraying, pest, weed, and disease detection, and fish population monitoring. Technological advancements, including hybrid propulsion systems in vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drones to enhance loitering time, augmented reality (AR) technology for 2D and 3D mapping, and artificial intelligence (AI) for crowd control, are further driving the growth of the drone services market in countries like Israel and South Africa.
Middle East and Africa Drone Services Market Trends
The Construction Segment to Exhibit the Highest Growth Rate During the Forecast Period
Amid rapid infrastructure development and advancements in construction monitoring technology, the construction application segment is poised to showcase the highest growth rate during the forecast period. Drones, a pivotal technology in this evolution, are revolutionizing the industry. They enable real-time insights, foster collaboration, aid in workforce and equipment planning, schedule maintenance, ensure safety, and facilitate mapping, all without disrupting operations. Their efficiency shines in scanning and monitoring vast construction sites, a task that surpasses the capabilities of human operators and traditional land-based scanners.
Terra Drone Arabia, a prominent provider of drone and satellite (remote sensing) technologies, participated in Cityscape Global 2024, which took place in November 2024 at the Exhibition and Convention Center in Malham, Riyadh. The event featured over 400 exhibitors and 500 speakers, focusing on “The Future of Living” and aligning with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.
Terra Drone Arabia presented its innovative solutions that deliver value across various project phases. These include pre-construction data collection, where drones and satellite imagery are utilized to efficiently gather critical site data, providing high-resolution insights that enhance planning and decision-making before construction begins. The company also showcased its progress monitoring and site analysis capabilities, employing remote-sensing drones to track real-time project progress with precision. This approach captures essential metrics for each phase, ensuring accuracy, improved timelines, and seamless project management.
The MoU seeks to enhance cooperation between Terra Drone and Aramco to advance drone technologies that improve safety and operational efficiency within the energy sector. It establishes a framework for innovation in key areas such as research and development, technology piloting, training, and localization. This agreement aligns with the shared vision of both organizations to drive technological advancements while fostering local capabilities to support the Kingdom’s broader economic objectives.
Israel is Expected to Dominate the Market During the Forecast Period
Israel hosts major R&D centers for technology leaders such as Microsoft and Google, which are increasingly investing in the commercial drone industry. The country’s supportive ecosystem fosters the growth of drone startups, particularly those developing technologies for sectors like construction, pharmaceutical delivery, agriculture, security, and surveillance.
The Israel Defense Forces' decision to replace Chinese DJI drones with locally developed alternatives is expected to drive market growth in the coming years. For example, startups like Flytrex are leading the way by offering software solutions that optimize delivery operations, provide essential topographical and weather data, and enable cloud-based management of in-flight drones.
Israel's strategic collaborations, including partnerships with the Ukrainian Postal Service and a pharmaceutical delivery company, highlight its commitment to testing advanced systems in challenging African environments.
As part of the Israel National Drone Initiative, multiple drone service providers participated in flight tests conducted by Vertiport in Rishon LeZion in March 2024. During these trials, Cando Drones demonstrated drone delivery operations and coordinated shared ground space with an air taxi and a heavy logistics drone. They facilitated visits from the mayor and the Israel Land Administration. This program aims to advance knowledge and drive the development of new capabilities. These innovations and strategic partnerships underscore Israel's growing prominence in the global drone services market.
Middle East and Africa Drone Services Industry Overview
The Middle East and Africa drone services market features key players like SZ DJI Technology Co. Ltd, Parrot SA, FalconViz, AeroVironment Inc., and Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. Technological advancements in this industry are primarily steered by collaborations between drone manufacturers and solution providers.
To boost revenue, service providers are tailoring their offerings to meet the unique needs of industries like construction, infrastructure management, and security in the Middle East, while in Africa, companies like WeRobotics Inc. are eyeing the agricultural sector's future potential. Manufacturers are rolling out new drone models to entice Middle Eastern customers. For instance, in January 2025, Matternet, the developer of the world’s leading urban drone delivery system, announced that The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had approved the company to operate its M2 drone within the region, the first operator to receive such approval.
Middle East and Africa Drone Services Market Leaders
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SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd.
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Parrot SA
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FalconViz
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AeroVironment Inc.
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Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd.
- *Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order
Middle East and Africa Drone Services Market News
- March 2025: Zipline, an innovative American drone delivery company, is set to revolutionize healthcare logistics in Nigeria by expanding its drone delivery operations to five additional Nigerian states. This strategic expansion aims to improve the distribution of medical supplies, including vaccines, blood products, and essential medications, particularly in remote and underserved areas.
- January 2024: Gulf Navigation (GULFNAV), a maritime and shipping company listed on the Dubai Financial Market, has formalized a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Wings Logistics Hub. This strategic collaboration seeks to revolutionize maritime transport in the UAE by integrating drone technology into shipping agency operations.
Middle East and Africa Drone Services Industry Segmentation
An unmanned aerial vehicle, or UAV, is an aircraft that operates without a human pilot or crew on board. UAVs form a crucial part of an unmanned aircraft system, which comprises a ground-based controller and a communication system.
The drone services market in the Middle East and Africa is segmented by application, drone type, and geography. By application, the market is segmented into construction, agriculture, energy, entertainment, law enforcement, parcel delivery, and other applications. By drone type, the market is segmented into fixed-wing drones and rotary-wing drones. The report also offers the market size and forecasts for four countries across the region. For each segment, the market size and forecast are provided based on value (USD).
Application | Construction |
Agriculture | |
Energy | |
Entertainment | |
Law Enforcement | |
Parcel Delivery | |
Other Applications | |
Type | Fixed Wing Drones |
Rotary Wing Drones | |
Geography | Saudi Arabia |
United Arab Emirates | |
Israel | |
South Africa | |
Rest of Middle East and Africa |
Construction |
Agriculture |
Energy |
Entertainment |
Law Enforcement |
Parcel Delivery |
Other Applications |
Fixed Wing Drones |
Rotary Wing Drones |
Saudi Arabia |
United Arab Emirates |
Israel |
South Africa |
Rest of Middle East and Africa |
Middle East And Africa Drone Services Market Research Faqs
How big is the Middle East And Africa Drone Services Market?
The Middle East And Africa Drone Services Market size is expected to reach USD 1.77 billion in 2025 and grow at a CAGR of 28.15% to reach USD 9.26 billion by 2030.
What is the current Middle East And Africa Drone Services Market size?
In 2025, the Middle East And Africa Drone Services Market size is expected to reach USD 1.77 billion.
Who are the key players in Middle East And Africa Drone Services Market?
SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd., Parrot SA, FalconViz, AeroVironment Inc. and Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. are the major companies operating in the Middle East And Africa Drone Services Market.
What years does this Middle East And Africa Drone Services Market cover, and what was the market size in 2024?
In 2024, the Middle East And Africa Drone Services Market size was estimated at USD 1.27 billion. The report covers the Middle East And Africa Drone Services Market historical market size for years: 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. The report also forecasts the Middle East And Africa Drone Services Market size for years: 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029 and 2030.
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Middle East And Africa Drone Services Industry Report
Statistics for the 2025 Middle East And Africa Drone Services market share, size and revenue growth rate, created by Mordor Intelligence™ Industry Reports. Middle East And Africa Drone Services 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.