Saudi Investment Minister Opens Tuwaiq Drones Club with DCL, Launches National Hub

H.E. Khalid Al-Falih, Saudi minister of investment, inaugurated the Drones Club at Tuwaiq Academy in Riyadh, marking a government-backed push to turn recreational FPV racing into a structured national sport and capability. The on-site opening took place 29 January 2026, and was reported by the Saudi Press Agency on 30 January 2026.

The joint initiative between Tuwaiq Academy and the Drone Champions League (DCL) pairs a local technology education hub with a global racing brand. DCL described the hub as the “1st Saudi Drones Hub” and said the first major milestone of the partnership was the official joint opening of the Tuwaiq Drones Hub in Riyadh. DCL also announced it will host the Official Opening of the 2026 Drone Champions League Season in the Kingdom, bringing DCL’s global elite drone racing pilots to Saudi Arabia.

The launch event combined athlete development with ceremony. The inauguration included the graduation of FPV drone bootcamp participants and the announcement of eight new bootcamps that are open for registration via Tuwaiq Academy’s website. The ministry and academy framed the Drones Club as part of the broader Tuwaiq Drones initiative, focused on “providing a structured environment for developing drone skills through training and competition.” SPA outlined that the club will offer training spaces, professional programs in partnership with international entities, workshops, events, competitions, and a center to train the Saudi national drone racing team.

DCL’s messaging leaned toward long-term ecosystem building. A DCL LinkedIn post said, “We’re proud to have also announce the Saudi Drone Champions League, a key step toward building a sustainable drone racing ecosystem in KSA. Saudi Arabia will play a central role in DCL’s future. We’ve only just started. We are here to stay.” Drone Champions League materials thanked the Ministry of Investment and named H.E. Abdullah Aldubaikhi and H.E. Ammar Altaf among officials present; DCL also acknowledged collaborators such as Abdulaziz Alhammadi and Abdulmalek AlGarayis.

From a sports-industry perspective, the Tuwaiq Drones Hub is a strategic move. It creates a talent pipeline for FPV pilots, shortens the path from bootcamp to national team selection, and gives DCL a Middle East foothold that could reshape the global season calendar and race locations. For Saudi Arabia, the hub ties into Tuwaiq Academy’s mission, established in August 2019, to build advanced national technology capabilities and bridge academic outputs to the modern digital labour market.

Culturally and socially, the initiative signals an intersection of youth tech education, international sports entertainment, and state-led investment. Bringing elite pilots and a global series to Riyadh can generate new careers in drone operations, event production, and technical coaching while normalizing high-performance FPV as a recognized sporting pathway.

Next steps for pilots and program managers include signing up for the new bootcamps, mapping a national training curriculum, and awaiting details of the Saudi Drone Champions League format. As DCL stages its 2026 season opener in Riyadh, expect accelerated competition, international travel for Saudi pilots, and more granular announcements about team selection and race calendars.