TOBA TEK SINGH: In a ‘landmark achievement’ for regional drone technology, two local and a Saudi universities have successfully designed, built and tested a hybrid autopilot vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drone for surveillance purposes.
It was a joint collaboration between King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia, National Textile University, Faisalabad, and Pak Austria Fachhochschule Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology (PAFIAST), Haripur.
It also attracted engineers from eminent universities in Pakistan, namely Hassan Iftikhar (team lead from National Textile University/National Center of Composite Materials, GIKI Alumnus), Dr Naeemullah Khan (Deputy Director KAUST Academy/ GIKI graduate), Dr Sohail Malik (HOD Mechanical Department, PAFIAST), Dr Ayub Asghar (Director Advanced Textile Research Center, NTU), Sanam Khan (Project Engineer), Farhan Ali Shami (Air University Graduate).
Hassan Iftikhar (the team lead) announced on Saturday the maiden flight was completed successfully, achieving a significant milestone in the development of advanced UAV systems in the region.
He said the project’s hybrid autopilot technology enables seamless transition between vertical take-off/landing and efficient fixed-wing flight, making it suitable for long-range surveillance operations.
He said the team “has the plans to transform this achievement into a joint business venture, converting it into light weight composite material, aiming to scale up production and introduce advance surveillance drone solutions for security, environmental monitoring, disaster management and commercial applications for Saudi Arabia land scape.
Iftikhar said it was an electronic drone which can fly continuously for an hour. If a heavy battery is used it can fly for more than three hours. He said most of its parts were manufactured locally and some were imported from China.
He added this project will be expanded to introduce functionalities such as AI- assisted decision making and solar-assisted flight.
He said the drone technology worldwide is quite advanced and costly.
“Our goal is to develop an affordable and low cost solution. This innovation represents a new chapter in Pakistan–Saudi technological collaboration, combining engineering expertise and applied research to strengthen the region’s presence in the global UAV industry,” he added.
Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2025
