mtu Series 2000 production will be localised in Saudi Arabia
Rolls-Royce Power Systems and Saudi Engines Manufacturing Company, known as Makeen, have signed an Individual Licence Agreement covering local manufacture and assembly of mtu Series 2000 marine engines in Saudi Arabia. Rolls-Royce says it is the first high-speed engine manufacturer to license this type of local production in the Kingdom.
The agreement follows a framework licence signed in 2023 and moves the partnership from legal and commercial preparation toward production capability. Financial terms, output targets and delivery dates have not been disclosed, so the initial scale of the programme remains to be established.
Series 2000 engines support a wide range of marine applications
The locally produced engines are intended for future marine and naval programmes including ferries, coastguard craft and patrol vessels. The same Series 2000 family is also widely used across high-performance commercial and yacht applications, making regional manufacturing relevant to a broader marine service ecosystem.
Makeen is investing in assembly capability, workforce skills and a local supply chain around the programme. For operators, a larger regional industrial base can eventually influence parts availability, service response and project integration as production matures.
Localisation aligns propulsion manufacturing with regional marine growth
Saudi Arabia is investing heavily in coastal tourism, marinas and maritime infrastructure under its wider industrial-development strategy. Building propulsion capability inside the country adds another layer to that marine economy beyond ports and waterfront destinations.
For Rolls-Royce, the licence creates a route to support future customers with locally assembled high-speed engines while retaining the underlying mtu technology platform. The next steps will be production readiness, workforce development and the first customer programmes to use engines assembled under the agreement.