WDS 2026 – SAMI unveils HEET 4×4 and HEET 8×8 and company reorganisation
Two brand new vehicles were unveiled in the late afternoon of Day 1 at the World Defense Show, which was inaugurated in Riyadh on 8th February 2026. SAMI Land, the newly formed land division of the Saudi giant among national defence companies, took the veil off its HEET 8×8 and HEET 4×4 in front of a crowd of interested people. The creation of SAMI Land is part of a wider reorganisation within the SAMI group
Two new armoured vehicles designed in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and which production will also be localised in the Kingdom, were unveiled in the late moments of Day 1 at the World Defense Show 2026. The HEET 8×8 and HEET 4×4 were presented by SAMI Land, which was recently created together with SAMI Autonomous, the two companies managing respectively land systems and unmanned systems. In a press release SAMI, for Saudi Arabian Military Industries, also announced the inauguration of the new 82,000 m2 SAMI Land facility; this was build considering the latest production technologies, such as Industry 4.0, artificial intelligence and robotics. Here the SAMI group will produce its 4×4, 6×6 and 8×8 wheeled armoured vehicles, the two HEET mock-up seen at WDS being the first of a family.
The HEET 8×8 was fitted with a turret armed with a 105 mm gun. According to the company, it is equipped with and advanced protection suite, its modularity allowing to adapt it to various missions. The HEET 4×4, a much smaller vehicle, which is designed for security and defence operations, was fitted with a Roaya turret armed with a 12.7 mm machine gun, developed locally by SAMI CMI Defence Systems, however the vehicle should be able to be fitted with a remotely controlled turret armed with a medium calibre gun. The few information provided mentioned the option between manned and unmanned solutions for both vehicles. The vehicles architecture differs from that of most wheeled armoured vehicle as they both feature and ample front windscreen, with two lateral additions, which provides a full 180° field of view to the driver and commander. Unfortunately, the company did not unveil any more technical detail on those vehicles which will have full Saudi intellectual property.
The aim of the HEET programme is to develop an indigenous family of wheeled armoured combat vehicles to equip the Saudi Arabian Army and the Saudi Arabian National Guard. The new facility should allow producing up to 1,500 military vehicles per year. According to SAMI this will also facilitate the transfer of technologies, that follows partnership agreements with foreign companies, the most recent being those with Turkey for drone and turret manufacturing.
SAMI Autonomous is the new subsidiary established to boost the development of national unmanned systems. To build a local capacity in this area a MoU was signed with the General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI)
To ensure maximum national content of its products as well as production resilience SAMI also launched an initiative aimed at connecting defence supply chains from Tier 1 to Tier 4, bolstering local small and medium-sized enterprises, thus programme being known with the acronym RUKN.
The reorganization is expected to create over 1,000 jobs.
Photos courtesy SAMI and P. Valpolini
