Boosting ties with the Gulf, Turkish Aselsan opens new office in Oman

ASELSAN a defense electronics company display air defense, radar, electronic warfare, electro-optics, avionics, guidance, land and weapon systems, communication, satellite and space, command and control systems during the Farnborough International Airshow 2024 at Farnborough International Exhibition and Conference Centre on July 23, 2024 in Farnborough, England. (Photo by John Keeble/Getty Images)

BEIRUT — Turkish electronics giant Aselsan will inaugurate its first office in the Sultanate of Oman, on the Southern border of the Arabian peninsula, “as part of its global expansion strategy,” the firm said in a statement today.

“This new office is aimed at enhancing the company’s ability to provide better services to its partners in Oman,” the company announcement said, highlighting its endeavor to foster “its existence in the Middle East and Gulf region with its office in Oman.”

Aselsan has already established offices and branches in other Arab states states, including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Jordan. Hence, this new office aims to boost its presence in the region rather than initiating it.

Aselsan develops defense electronics platforms including electronic warfare software, radar systems, electro optics, and communication capabilities. It is also a member of the consortium of Turkish firms developing the Steel Dome air defense system.

“It is a great honor to be here for the opening of ASELSAN’s Muscat office in Oman. In recent years, the Turkish defense industry has achieved remarkable global success through the technologies it has developed and its growing exports. This new office is a testament to that success, reflecting our commitment to deepening our ties with the Gulf Region,” Turkish Secretary of Defense Industries Haluk Görgün said in the statement.

He expressed his confidence that the office will deepen ties between Turkey and Oman.

Aselsan CEO Ahmet Akyol said that the new office will focus on “marketing, business development, customer satisfaction, and providing comprehensive post-sales support for end users of Aselsan technologies.”

The inauguration of the office follows Aselsan’s announcement that it set a defense export record of $1 billion in 2024. During 2024,Turkish defense exports surged to $7.15 Billion.

Speaking about the broader reproachment of Turkey and the Gulf states, Serhat Süha Çubukçuoğlu, an expert at Trends Research & Advisory in Abu Dhabi, told Breaking Defense that “there is a clear synergy between Turkey’s know-how and the Gulf’s tremendous resource endowments.”

“Gulf countries aim to diversify their economies to prepare for the post-oil era and make an impact on emerging fields such as AI and robotics. They want to leap ahead to catch the AI revolution and become high-tech manufacturing hubs in West Asia,” he said.

Çubukçuoğlu added that “Turkey sits as an alternative supplier with less or no strings attached, no political conditionalities in arms exports — unlike the EU and the US, which puts it at an advantage. Its suits the Gulf countries’ goal is to boost their defense economies and be able to act in a more autonomous fashion, to reduce their reliance on Western security guarantees.”