JEDDAH, 24 April 2007 — The King Abdulaziz University (KAU) flight-tested its first Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) over its campus yesterday morning.

The 27-kg experimental aircraft called “Saqer Al-Sahra” (Desert Eagle) is a one-and-a-half-year-old project involving eight Aero-Engineering Department students at KAU’s Engineering College and their tutor, Wael Harsani. The experiment is considered to be the first of its kind since the department’s establishment in 1981 and is the first ever Saudi-made UAV.

Harsani, a lecture at KAU and the project’s manager, said that the experimental launch is part of the UAV’s primary stage. He added that step two would entail further developing the project.

“We can do this through many ways. For example if we attach a larger fuel tank to it then it would be able to stay in the air for a longer period of time,” he said, adding that the current fuel tank can keep it in the air for approximately 21 minutes.

Harsani said that the team wanted to test different non-conventional materials in building the UAV. The plane has been made using wood and aluminum and is controlled remotely. Also attending the event was an expert in the design and flying of remote-controlled planes.

UAVs are used to monitor borders, traffic and the weather, and are also used in rescue searches. There is a potential for such devices to be used in monitoring the holy sites during the Haj and Umrah seasons. More advanced UAVs run on autopilot.

Rami Husami, one of the eight students who took part in the project, said that his first encounter with an UAV was in the US in the 90s when he was given a ticket for speeding. “The officer pointed to a plane saying I had been busted by it,” he said.

Some of the components used in the UAV’s construction came from abroad and were modified here, said Husami, adding that this, together with other relevant paperwork, delayed the launch.

He added that the group is a motivated and qualified one. “KAU has done much in making our dream come true. We even chipped in with our own money. To develop this project we need much more,” he said.

The 2.7-meter long and 2.9-meter wide (from wing to wing) UAV took off and was in the air for less than twenty minutes to claps and cheers from students and lecturers. It can reach speeds of 30 MPH.

Osama ibn Sadeq Al-Taib, President of KAU, sponsored the launch and congratulated Wael Harsani and the eight students: Rami Husam, Husam Al-Sayed, Rakan Al-Fadel, Hisham Yamani, Hamam Zamzami, Ahmed Hakem, Fawaz Tunkar and Abdullah Mukhtar.

He also thanked Mamoun Al-Fara, remote control technician at KAU, who assisted in equipping the UAV with remote control and handling the craft while in midair.