Middle East & Africa Artificial Intelligence in Defense Market Forecast to 2028 -Regional Analysis

The Middle East & Africa artificial intelligence in defense market is expected to grow from US$ 347.46 million in 2023 to US$ 539.29 million by 2028. It is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 9.2% from 2023 to 2028.

Growing Development of Robots Using Artificial Intelligence Fuels Middle East & Africa Artificial Intelligence in Defense Market

The adoption of robotics solutions in the military helps improve the accuracy of strikes against enemy positions, reduces collateral damage, and provides real-time situational awareness. Artificial intelligence and robotics play crucial roles in many defense applications such as intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) activities. Robots in the military include drones, armored vehicles, missile boats, and more. In addition, replacing humans with robots on the battlefield will reduce the loss of human lives in wars, which is expected to propel the adoption of robots on the battlefield. Artificial intelligence technology mainly provides robotic assistance on the battlefield, which will enable forces to maintain or expand warfighting capacity without increasing manpower. With the help of AI, the robots can deploy, operate, and return to base. Such benefits of AI in robots will contribute to its adoption in various military forces. Further, unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) use artificial intelligence and can independently complete a pre-programmed mission. UUVs use artificial intelligence in mine detection operations in seawater. UGVs use artificial intelligence for surveillance operations. Therefore, artificial intelligence is highly used in developing advanced technologies, including defense robots, which will be a major trend in the future.

Middle East & Africa Artificial Intelligence in Defense Market Overview

Military departments in the MEA countries continue to embrace innovation to train their troops, sailors, and aviators. Prominent countries in the region focus on strengthening their economies by improving the contributions of sectors other than oil & gas; as a result, they have increased their spending on the defense sector. According to SIPRI, the military expenditure of the MEA rose to US$ 153.23 billion in 2021 from US$ 142.70 billion in 2020. The UAE and Saudi Arabia have adopted Vision 2030 to focus on the development of data-driven and AI-based technologies and procure and deploy emerging technologies in the military sector. The inclusion of such technologies across all battlefield and warfare operations propels the growth of the Middle East & Africa artificial intelligence in defense market in the MEA. Further, the MEA witnessed a large-scale adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cloud computing, Big Data analytics, and AI are changing multidomain operations by aiding training and mission support. With these technologies, military forces in the region are simulating real environments and creating a secure virtual world for training troupes to accelerate operations and make them cost-effective.

Exhibit: Middle East & Africa Artificial Intelligence in Defense Market Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Million)

Middle East & Africa Artificial Intelligence in Defense Market Segmentation

The Middle East & Africa artificial intelligence in defense market is segmented into component, technology, platform, application, and country.

Based on component, the Middle East & Africa artificial intelligence in defense market is segmented into hardware, software and services. The software segment held the largest share of the Middle East & Africa artificial intelligence in defense market in 2023.

Based on technology, the Middle East & Africa artificial intelligence in defense market is segmented into advanced computing, ai systems and learning and intelligence. The advanced computing segment held the largest share of the Middle East & Africa artificial intelligence in defense market in 2023.

Based on platform, the Middle East & Africa artificial intelligence in defense market is segmented into naval, land, and air. The land segment held the largest share of the Middle East & Africa artificial intelligence in defense market in 2023.

Based on application, the Middle East & Africa artificial intelligence in defense market is segmented into cyber security, battlefield healthcare, logistics and transportation, warfare platform and others. The warfare segment held the largest share of the Middle East & Africa artificial intelligence in defense market in 2023.

Based on country, the Middle East & Africa artificial intelligence in defense market is segmented int o Saudi Arabia, the UAE, South Africa, and the Rest of Middle East & Africa. The Rest of Middle East & Africa dominated the share of the Middle East & Africa artificial intelligence in defense market in 2023.

BAE Systems Plc; International Business Machines Corp; Leidos Holdings Inc; Lockheed Martin Corp; Raytheon Technologies Corp; and Thales SA are the leading companies operating in the Middle East & Africa artificial intelligence in defense market.