Two Pakistani universities and one Saudi institution have successfully designed, developed, and tested a hybrid autopilot Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) drone, marking a major milestone in regional drone technology for surveillance purposes.
The project was a joint effort between King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi National Textile Arabia University Faisalabad, and Pak Austria Fachhochschule Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology (PAF-IAST) Haripur.
Engineers from renowned Pakistani universities contributed to the project, including team lead Hassan Iftikhar, Dr. Naeem Ullah Khan, Dr. Sohail Malik, Ayyub Asghar, Sanam Khan, and Farhan Ali Shami, each playing key technical roles.
Hassan Iftikhar announced that the drone’s maiden flight was successfully completed, calling it a significant achievement in the development of modern UAV systems with enhanced capabilities for long-distance surveillance operations.
He explained that the drone uses hybrid autopilot technology, allowing smooth transitions from vertical take-off and landing to fixed-wing flight, making it suitable for security, environmental monitoring, disaster management, and commercial applications.
The team plans to turn this achievement into a joint commercial venture by producing lightweight composite drones, scaling up manufacturing, and introducing cost-effective UAV solutions for Saudi Arabia and other global markets.