Qatar defence industry: Barzan Holdings and unmanned systems
Qatar1 productQatar's defence industry is young and centred on Barzan Holdings, a company wholly owned by the Ministry of Defence. Since 2018 Barzan has invested in joint ventures and research, and at DIMDEX 2026 it presented an armed unmanned surface vessel described as completely made in Qatar.
Defence products made in Qatar
Barzan Holdings and Qatar's defence strategy
Qatar's Ministry of Defence set up Barzan Holdings in March 2018, launching it at DIMDEX 2018, to invest in the defence industry, form joint ventures and support military research and development. The company is headquartered at Qatar Science and Technology Park, with roughly 40,000 m2 dedicated to R&D.
At DIMDEX 2026 in Doha, Barzan signed four agreements with the Qatari armed forces worth QAR 3.3 billion, about USD 903 million. It also presented a NATO-compliant command-and-control centre developed in-house by more than 50 engineers, with about 250,000 lines of code.
Unmanned systems and counter-drone work
Unmanned maritime systems are the most visible area of Qatari development. Barzan unveiled an armed unmanned surface vessel at DIMDEX 2026, and private builder Performance Marine showed its 7 m Ghost 7 USV, saying its line can build 10 USVs a year. Barzan also displayed a containerised counter-drone system with Italy's Fincantieri built around the Omega 360 radar, claimed to detect small drones beyond 12 km. Separately, Qatar's coast guard became the first export customer for Turkey's ULAQ USV, delivered in November 2025.
The Barzan USV is an 11.9 m craft armed with a 12.7 mm remote weapon station and capable of more than 30 kt. It is managed through Barzan's own command-and-control system, which links it to other unmanned platforms. The vessel remains a prototype, and Barzan presents it as entirely made in Qatar.
Key companies and institutions
Frequently asked questions
What is Barzan Holdings?
Barzan Holdings is a defence company wholly owned by Qatar's Ministry of Defence, founded in March 2018 to invest in the industry, form joint ventures and lead indigenous development.
Does Qatar make its own weapons?
Qatar's industry is at an early stage. Its main indigenous product is Barzan's armed unmanned surface vessel, unveiled at DIMDEX 2026 as completely made in Qatar.
What is DIMDEX?
DIMDEX is the Doha maritime defence exhibition where Barzan was launched in 2018 and where it presented its armed USV and signed QAR 3.3 billion in agreements in 2026.
