Efficiency-boosting drone tech for Saudi Arabia’s industry

Saudi Arabia

Toru Tokushige, founder and CEO of Terra Drone Corporation, talks to The Energy Year about establishing a new subsidiary in Saudi Arabia and Aramco’s USD 15-million investment in the company to localise drone technologies. Terra Drone manufactures advanced air mobility equipment and provides drone services for surveying, inspections, agriculture and other domains.

What was the inspiration behind the creation of Terra Drone?
My motivation is to create new technological innovations and scale them globally. Currently, I am simultaneously managing two companies alongside Terra Drone. One is Terra Motors, which focuses on two-wheeled electric vehicles and is preparing for an IPO in 2026. The other is Terra Charge, an EV [electric vehicle] charging business that originated within Terra Motors but grew rapidly and was separated into an independent entity.
The common aspect shared by these ventures is innovation, and the goal is to create a globally scalable industry. In the drone sector, Terra Drone went public in Japan in November 2024. One of our key solutions in unmanned aircraft systems traffic management, developed by our subsidiary Unifly, has already been deployed in several countries, including the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and Canada.
Our system has also been implemented in NEOM, here in Saudi Arabia. Since 2020, we have been recognised as one of the top drone companies globally by Droneii, the benchmark for commercial drone market intelligence worldwide.

Can you provide an overview of your offerings?
We divide our services into three main categories. The first is surveying, which is essential in sectors such as construction, oil and gas, mining and agriculture. Our drone-based survey solutions enhance accuracy, efficiency and cost-effectiveness for large-scale projects.
The second is inspection, and we offer systems for oil and gas assets, refineries, petrochemical facilities, utilities and power generation infrastructure, and marine and offshore assets. Our advanced drone technology helps companies conduct safer, faster and more detailed inspections without disrupting operations. The third category is agricultural services, which helps farmers and agribusiness to be more productive through automation and data-driven decision making.

What are your principal operations in Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia is a particularly interesting market for us due to its economic growth and ongoing diversification efforts. The government is committed to expanding sectors outside oil and gas, such as mining, agriculture and construction, which aligns well with our expertise.
About three years ago, Aramco announced its intention to select a cutting-edge drone company to introduce advanced drone technology to Saudi Arabia, and we have been collaborating with them to explore use cases on inspections. For instance, traditional tank inspections require pausing operations for two weeks and having workers physically enter the tanks to attach sensors and collect data, which is both costly and hazardous.
Our proprietary drone solution has transformed the process, allowing real-time data collection without downtime or safety risks. Our inspection services consist of integrated hardware, advanced software and full operational support. We have also carried out inspections with other major companies such as ADNOC, Shell and ExxonMobil.
Localisation and employment generation in Saudi Arabia have been key priorities for us, and Aramco invested USD 15 million in our company two years ago to support us.

Are you working on developing any other technologies?
We are developing drone technologies for closed environments where GPS signals are unavailable, such as certain storage tanks. This requires highly stable hardware, which we have successfully developed. These drones can operate inside tanks and collect data in real time, and we have integrated AI-driven analysis to process and interpret the data.

How can your solutions help companies reduce their carbon emissions?
Alongside inspections, we also offer solutions that help oil and gas companies monitor emissions and air quality and collect data. Without accurate information, companies cannot effectively address their environmental impact. Our drones can collect data at industrial facilities or across a city. They are cost-efficient and can help companies enhance their sustainability efforts.

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