Prince Sultan Advanced Technology Research Institute (PSATRI, Arabic: معهد الأمير سلطان لأبحاث التقنيات المتقدمة, ''Ma'ahad Al-Amir Sultan le-abhas al-taqniat al-motaqaddemah'') is an independent scientific organization of the Saudi government, located in the College of Engineering at

King Saud University King Saud University (KSU, ar, جامعة الملك سعود) is a public university in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Established in 1957 by King Saud bin Abdulaziz to address the country's skilled worker shortage, it is the first university in the K ...

in the capital city of

Riyadh Riyadh (, ar, الرياض, 'ar-Riyāḍ, lit.: 'The Gardens' Najdi pronunciation: ), formerly known as Hajr al-Yamamah, is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the R ...

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...

. It has a branch office located in the Business Gate in addition to manufacturing lab and testing sites.

History

The foundation of PSATRI was formed jointly by Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) and

(KSU). In 2008, the Saudi

Minister of Defense A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...

issued formal approval for PSATRI. In 2011, the Deputy Minister of Defense approved PSATRI's Board of Directors. The institute works closely with the Royal Saudi Air Force and the various Saudi security and military branches to improve their efficiency, provide specialized studies and scientific consultation.

Approach of PSATRI

PSATRI aims at technology transfer for defense and security sectors. This approach sets it apart from other technology entities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. PSATRI ensures a constant growth of technology to support the development of new products and services for the armed forces through the creation of additional operational capabilities at the end users. PSATRI supports the creation of industry in Saudi Arabia by commercializing and industrializing its technologies.

Managing Director

PSATRI is headed by Dr Sami Alhumaidi, the Managing Director, a

PhD degree A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is a ...

in Electrical Engineering from Florida Institute of Technology,

USA The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

. He accomplished projects in the areas of radar and electronic warfare's serving a number of national committees as

Bell Agusta Aerospace Company Bell Agusta Aerospace Company (BAAC) was a joint venture formed in 1998 by Bell Helicopter and Agusta (now AgustaWestland), who collaborated on a variety of products dating back to 1952. The joint venture was dissolved in 2011, when AgustaWestland ...

on electronic defence and

UAV An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controller ...

. Under his leadership, PSATRI aims at building national capabilities in the defense and security sectors through intensive applied research, technology transfer, innovation and invention with a purpose of self-sufficiency. PSATRI manages the relationship with international companies and strategic clients to achieve its goal.

Collaboration

PSATRI was established to offer – through strategic partnerships and modern technology – advanced research and hands-on experience to the private and military sectors. PSATRI collaborates with its: # local clients; RSAF, RSNF, RSLF, # local companies such as; Advanced Electronic Company, Alsalam Aircraft Company, and # international organizations such as; RAF,

British Aerospace British Aerospace plc (BAe) was a British aircraft, munitions and defence-systems manufacturer. Its head office was at Warwick House in the Farnborough Aerospace Centre in Farnborough, Hampshire. Formed in 1977, in 1999 it purchased Marconi ...

BAE Systems BAE Systems plc (BAE) is a British multinational arms, security, and aerospace company based in London, England. It is the largest defence contractor in Europe, and ranked the seventh-largest in the world based on applicable 2021 revenues. ...

, Agilent Technologies, Danaher Corporation, Dedicated Computing,

Boeing The Boeing Company () is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product ...

, Swedish SAAB, Agusta Bell, Elettronica SpA, Raytheon and others.

Laboratories at PSATRI

PSATRI comprises on several specialized research labs: # ''Communications and Networking Lab'' is involved in research, education and scholarly activities in the area of communications and networking. # ''Signal and Image processing Lab'' is to provide solutions focusing on two target areas:

Radar Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (''ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, w ...

signal processing Signal processing is an electrical engineering subfield that focuses on analyzing, modifying and synthesizing ''signals'', such as audio signal processing, sound, image processing, images, and scientific measurements. Signal processing techniq ...

and Satellite imaging. # ''Microwave, Antenna and Radar System Lab'' performs design, analysis, optimization, fabrication and characterization of miniaturized RF and

microwave Microwave is a form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths ranging from about one meter to one millimeter corresponding to frequencies between 300 MHz and 300 GHz respectively. Different sources define different frequency ran ...

components and devices based on new breakthroughs in

theory and techniques. # ''Electro-Optics Lab'' aims to engage in design, manufacturing and testing

infrared Infrared (IR), sometimes called infrared light, is electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with wavelengths longer than those of visible light. It is therefore invisible to the human eye. IR is generally understood to encompass wavelengths from around ...

and electro-optical sensors, focal plane arrays and camera systems. # ''Autonomous Vehicles Lab'' aims at building indigenous capabilities in the field of unmanned autonomous systems(UAS). Current lab activities span several areas such as flight control units, communication systems, ground control systems and various payloads such as gyro-stabilized platforms. # ''Center for Applied Research in Electronic Warfare'' intends to provide a scientific and technological

Electronic warfare Electronic warfare (EW) is any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum (EM spectrum) or directed energy to control the spectrum, attack an enemy, or impede enemy assaults. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponen ...

capability in order to improve the degree of operational readiness and render effective and efficient support to RSAF.

Offices

PSATRI has its headquarters in its former office located in College of Engineering,