Middle East & Africa Drone Market Research Report: Forecast (2021-2026)

Market Definition

Drones, also known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), are devices used for different applications, such as capturing the high definition aerial images, transporting goods, surveillance, etc. Across the Middle East & Africa, they are rapidly gaining traction across different verticals like construction, media & entertainment, agriculture, defense, etc.

Market Insights

The Middle East & Africa Drones Market is projected to grow at a CAGR of around 35.12% during the forecast period, i.e., 2021-26. Across the Middle East, there are several construction projects active throughout countries like Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Israel, and Turkey, among others. These countries are contributing significantly to the increasing demand for drones for different applications, such as 2D & 3D modeling & mapping, site monitoring & surveillance, land surveying, waste minimization, etc., thereby driving the market.

On the other hand, across Africa, the demand for drones is rising primarily for applications like postal delivery & agricultural activities like soil scanning, crop monitoring, pesticide spraying, weed & disease detection, fish population, etc.

Besides, various companies are strategically funding new start-ups to suffice the demand for drone applications like surveying, air taxis, mapping, logistics, and surveillance. The innovations in drones in recent years have led to better battery backup & flying duration, lighter components, integrations of sensors, microprocessors, etc.

Furthermore, the market growth is also fueled by rapid technological advancements like Hybrid Propulsion in VTOL (Vertical Take-Off & Landing), Augmented Reality (AR), Artificial Intelligence (AI), etc., in drones.

Key Trends in the Market

Integration of Artificial Intelligence in Drones to Boost the Market through 2026

Rapid technological advancements in different electronics like cameras, smartphones, processors, micro-controllers, and modern computing have augmented the integration of Artificial intelligence (AI) in drone technology. These developments have enabled companies to develop drones with built-in capabilities to calculate volume, distance, range, area, & other aspects and manage massive data to extract accurate results and, in turn, allow them to perform better. Hence, with these factors, the drones market across the Middle East & Africa region shall witness a significant boost in the years to come.

Impact of Covid-19 on the Middle East & Africa Drones Market

The Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 had a dual impact on the Middle East & Africa Drones Market. Initially, governments of the different countries in the region imposed stringent movement restrictions & frequent lockdowns to combat the virus spread. It led to supply chain disruptions, shortage of labor & raw materials, project delays & cancellations, and shutdown of manufacturing units, which, as a result, introduced massive financial losses.

However, the leading players in the market figured out new ways to sustain themselves in the market. The demand for drones rose substantially across the region for applications like transporting & delivering medicines & essential goods, surveillance & monitoring across containment zones, etc. Hence, the market observed a temporary hike amidst the crisis.

Moreover, with gradual improvements in the pandemic situation, the governments began to uplift the limitations and allowed the recommencement of operations, which enabled the market to revive through 2021.

Nevertheless, in the coming years, the market is anticipated to undergo swift progress & rapid technological advancements, which shall further create remunerative growth opportunities for the leading market players over the forecast years.  

Market Segmentation

Based on the Type, the Middle East & Africa Drones Market segments into:

• Fixed Wings
• Rotary Wings

Between the two, Rotary Wings dominate the market with the largest share. The extensive application of drones with rotary wings for several applications like mapping & surveying, photography & videography, inspections, & surveillance owes principally to their VTOL capabilities with excellent aerial operations. With these aspects, the demand for rotary-winged drones is significantly rising & encouraging manufacturers to increase drone production.

On the other hand, Fixed-wing drones are projected to observe increasing demand in the coming years due to their advantages like advanced cameras, in-built GPS tracking systems, lightweight components, and long-range flying capabilities, which, in turn, expand their applications across different verticals.

Based on the End-User:

• Defense Establishments
• Construction
• Agriculture
• Law Enforcement
• Energy

Of them all, the Construction sector is anticipated to witness the fastest market growth in the coming years, primarily due to the swiftly increasing construction activities across the Middle East & Africa region owing to the mounting inclination toward infrastructural developments. As a result, it is fueling the demand for drones for purposes like harnessing and providing real-time insights to facilitate effective collaboration, equipment planning, mapping, safety surveillance, maintenance scheduling, etc., without delaying the operations.

Besides, drones in the construction industry are also being used for transporting goods across locations & bringing efficiency to construction projects. Hence, the market is projected to observe the fastest growth in the construction sector in the coming years.

On the other hand, the agriculture sector is also experiencing considerable demand for drones. This industry has gained several benefits from drone technology like quicker mapping of large areas, spraying pesticides, fertilizers, & water on crops, closely monitoring crop growth, surveying the field, and many others.

Furthermore, Defense establishments are also projected to fuel the market growth in the coming years owing to the increasing deployment of drones to carry out critical operations like data collection, missile combats to reduce threats, surveillance, etc. Drones can easily move across borders to gather critical information 24x7 & efficiently and picture the best moment to strike without putting the lives of humans at risk.

In fact, drones can be used at combat zones and operated from facilities that are farther away. Hence, their adoption is increasing rapidly for different defense establishments.

Country Landscape

Based on the geography, the Middle East & Africa Drones Market expands across the following countries:

• Saudi Arabia
• UAE
• Israel
• Iran
• Egypt
• South Africa
• Turkey

Of them all, Israel is anticipated to dominate the market with the largest share during the forecast period. The country is home to major research & development centers of prominent firms like Google & Microsoft, venturing into the development of commercial drone spaces.

Besides, Israel also has a cooperative environment for numerous start-ups associated with drone technology, especially across verticals like construction, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, surveillance & security, etc. Additionally, the Israel Defense Forces encouraging the replacement of Chinese DJI drones with local drones is also fueling the drone market growth in the country.

For instance, startups like Flytrex are bringing software solutions for drone operations like pick & drop deliveries, gathering topographical & weather-related information, and managing critical information like in-flight drones on cloud infrastructure. The company has recently collaborated with Ukraine Postal Services & a Pharmaceutical delivery company to test the system across Tough-to-Test locations across the African region.

Moreover, Edgybees has developed the first-ever drone with Augmented Reality for rapidly moving platforms and is primarily used for disaster management. Therefore, with increasing collaborations, developments, and innovations in the drone industry, Israel is projected to dominate the regional market in the coming years.

On the other hand, Turkey is anticipated to create remunerative growth opportunities for the leading players in the coming years. It owes to the increasing developments of lethal-armed drones, viz., large, high-flying, & bomb-laden drones and low-flying & small ones, which can form deadly swarms.

Besides, in June 2021, the country's armed forces added the next generation Anka-UAVs, an Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV), in their inventories. Moreover, in recent years, the country has displayed its efficiency in combat operations across Iraq, Syria, and Libya with their Anka-S drones & Bayraktar TB2. Hence, these aspects are propelling the growth of the drones market across Turkey.

Recent Developments by Leading Companies

In July 2021, market leader AeroVironment Inc. launched a Crysalis next-generation ground control system that is integrated with software & hardware-based system to transmit command & control of compatible UAS & their payload across different commercial, defense, and government applications.

Market Dynamics:

Key Drivers

Extensive Application of Drones in Numerous Verticals to Boost the Market through 2026

With rapid technological advancements like AI & AR in drone technology, the demand for drones has expanded substantially across various verticals in the Middle East & Africa to fulfill diverse requirements. With the growing economy of different countries in the region, support & investments in the drone industry are mounting swiftly. The use of small remote-controlled aircraft has increasingly gained traction in recent years, especially across commercial industries like construction & infrastructure, mainly due to the rapid research & development initiatives. 

Owing to these developments, the demand for drones has risen & their costs have significantly dropped, which, in turn, has increased their adoption across Middle East & Africa. Aerial photography & videography, inspection, mapping, etc., are other crucial applications of drones. Market giants like DJI are also supporting drone technology & its adoption with massive investments and driving the market.

Possible Restraints

Finite Air Traffic Management & Stringent Norms for Drone Flying Might Restrain the Market Growth

Commercial drones are increasingly gaining momentum across different industries in the region for diverse aerial applications. However, due to the stringent regulations associated with flying drones near airports, air traffic has been reduced significantly. Hence, several companies are facing concerns, owing to the lack of air traffic management by the aviation authorities of different countries.

In fact, some countries are also facing criticism about violation of privacy & personal space using drones, thereby affecting their commercial expansion. Moreover, the drone industry is also witnessing allegations of safety concerns owing to improper handling & battery failures reported in several incidents. Such damages are also causing financial losses to the companies and hampering the overall market growth.

Growth Opportunity

Significant Developments in Urban Air Mobility Services to Boost the Middle East & Africa Drones Market through 2026

With the rapidly increasing urban population, the demand for convenient transportation systems for mass mobility is anticipated to surge significantly in the coming years. As a result, countries are actively looking forward toward alternative ways to address & solve such issues & problems like traffic congestions and increasing pollution. The mounting adoption of drones like air taxis is expected to display a promising growth opportunity for the market, with benefits like a lower strain on the existing transportation system, comfortable & safe traveling, reduced transportation time & pollution, etc.

Competitive Landscape

According to MarkNtel Advisors, the leading industry players in the Middle East & Africa Drone market are BAYKAR Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems, IAI, Kronshtadt Group, DJI, EHang, Shenzhen Damoda, China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics, Microdrones GmbH, FalconViz, Terra Drone Corporation, BlueBird Aero Systems Ltd., Airobotics Ltd., Integrated Aerial Systems, AeroVironment Inc., and Parrot SA.

Key Questions Answered in the Market Research Report:

1. What are the overall statistics or estimates (Overview, Size- By Value, Forecast Numbers, Segmentation, Shares) of the Middle East & Africa Drones Market?
2. What are the industry size, growth drivers, and challenges?
3. What are the key innovations, opportunities, current & future trends, and regulations in the Middle East & Africa Drones Market?
4. Who are the key competitors, their key strengths & weaknesses, and how do they perform in the Middle East & Africa Drones Market based on the competitive benchmarking matrix?
5. What are the key results derived from surveys conducted during the Middle East & Africa Drones Market study?

Market Outlook, Segmentation, and Statistics

• Impact of COVID-19 on Middle East & Africa Drone Market
• Market Size & Analysis
  • By Revenue
• Market Share & Analysis
  • By Type
    • Fixed Wings
    • Rotary Wings
  • By End Users
    • Defense Establishments
    • Construction
    • Agriculture
    • Law Enforcement
    • Energy
    • Others
  • By Range
    • Short Range
    • Medium Range
    • Long Range
  • By Country
    • Saudi Arabia
    • UAE
    • Israel
    • Iran
    • Egypt
    • South Africa
    • Turkey  
  • By Competitors
    • Competition Characteristics
    • Market Share & Analysis
    • Competitive Metrix
• Middle East & Africa Drone Market Hotspots & Opportunities
• Middle East & Africa Drone Market Regulations & Policy
• Key Strategic Imperatives for Success and Growth
• Middle East & Africa Competition Outlook
  • Competition Matrix
  • Company Profile