Satellite images show Saudi missile plant expansion near Riyadh
Researchers say the Al-Duwadimi facility could produce longer-range solid-fuel missiles with heavier payloads.
Commercial satellite images indicate Saudi Arabia is expanding the Al-Duwadimi ballistic missile production complex, about 200 kilometers west of Riyadh. Two researchers from the Foreign Policy Research Institute, Sam Lair and Michael Duitsman, said new buildings at the site could support the manufacture of larger solid-fuel missiles, enabling them to carry heavier payloads or travel farther. Their analysis used a series of Planet Labs images from April 2025 to September 2026. One building is believed to contain casting pits for pouring propellant into rocket motor casings and is said to be at least twice the size of the older facility. Another building is thought to be for fuel or component storage. The researchers also noted features resembling those at a China missile factory, a supplier long linked to the Saudi missile program.