Matternet Receives Approval to Operate M2 Drone in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The General Authority of Civil Aviation determined that the M2 Drone’s FAA Type Certification met airworthiness standards

Matternet expects Type Certification to be recognized by additional countries throughout the Middle East

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Matternet, the developer of the world’s leading urban drone delivery system, today announced that the company has been approved by The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to operate its M2 drone within the region, the first operator to receive such approval. The approval was granted by Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (“GACA”) after the agency determined that the M2’s Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”) Type Certification issued by the U.S. met GACA airworthiness standards. Matternet’s M2 drone delivery system became the first to achieve FAA Type Certification in September 2022.

“We are proud to have received this acceptance from GACA and are honored that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia recognizes our dedication to safety and operational excellence,” said Andreas Raptopoulos, Founder and CEO of Matternet. “The Middle East is an exciting region for drone delivery and Saudi Arabia represents the largest economy. Riyadh will have autonomous drone delivery as a new layer of city infrastructure, enabling ultra-fast, cost-efficient, zero-emissions delivery for its businesses and residents.”

Since 2021, Matternet has established key partnerships around the world to expand its footprint. In 2021, the company entered the Middle East market through a partnership with the Abu Dhabi Department of Health to provide city-wide medical delivery. In 2022, Matternet launched the world’s longest urban drone delivery route in Zurich, Switzerland. In 2024, Matternet entered the home delivery market after launching the first-ever drone delivery operation in Silicon Valley.

“We have seen rapid growth in the development and population of cities such as Riyadh,” Matternet Chief Financial Officer Jason Secore said. “This will create a greater need for delivery, and lead to mounting pressure on the current infrastructure to keep up with demand. Drone delivery will play a key role in managing these challenges in a timely and scalable manner.”

In 2025, Matternet plans to continue scaling operations throughout the United States, Europe, and the Middle East. The company is committed to ensuring its drone technology exceeds regulatory standards to take advantage of exciting opportunities that will encourage mass adoption and drive the industry forward.

To view Matternet’s Silicon Valley service in action go here.

About Matternet

Matternet is the leading developer of commercial drone delivery systems for urban and suburban environments. The company builds the Matternet M2 drone and Matternet Software Platform and operates its technology directly for customers or in partnership with logistics organizations, such as UPS. Matternet has achieved many industry firsts, including being the first company to be authorized for commercial Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone delivery operations over cities in Switzerland, the first to launch routine revenue-generating operations in the U.S., and the first to achieve standard Type Certification and Production Certification by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. Matternet is partnered with UPS and Ameriflight, who have received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to operate the Matternet M2 under Part 135. Matternet launched the world’s first humanitarian drone delivery missions in 2014, the first B2B healthcare operations in Europe in 2017 and in the US in 2019, and the first drone delivery operations in Silicon Valley in 2024. To date, Matternet technology has enabled tens of thousands of commercial flights over dense urban and suburban environments in the U.S. and Europe.

For more information about Matternet, please visit: https://www.matternet.com/.