Doha, Qatar, 21 Oct. 2026

Qatar, Pakistan, Indonesia and Türkiye have taken a significant step towards strengthening their strategic partnership by signing a quadrilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on defence industry cooperation in Doha on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, under an initiative known as ‘Project Badr’.

The agreement establishes a framework for long-term collaboration aimed at advancing defence technologies, promoting joint manufacturing, encouraging investment and strengthening the industrial capabilities of the four countries. It also seeks to build a sustainable and competitive defence industrial ecosystem, enabling the participating nations to develop domestic expertise, improve self-reliance and reduce dependence on external supply chains.

The MoU was signed during a high-level meeting attended by Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs, Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani; Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Defence, Khawaja Muhammad Asif; Türkiye’s Minister of National Defence, Yaşar Güler, and President of Türkiye’s Presidency of Defence Industries, Prof Haluk Görgün; and Indonesia’s Deputy Minister of Defence for Logistics, Defence Industry and Technology, Air Marshal Yusuf Jauhari.

The agreement highlights the four friendly nations’ shared commitment to building a partnership founded on mutual trust, equality, reciprocity and common interests. Qatar’s role in bringing the countries together was particularly appreciated by Indonesia’s deputy defence minister, who described the initiative as an important milestone in advancing international defence industrial cooperation.

Focus on technology and joint manufacturing

Project Badr aims to combine the participating countries’ technological strengths, research capabilities and industrial expertise to develop advanced defence systems. Three priority areas have been identified: interceptor systems, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and electronic warfare and cybersecurity.

Cooperation in research and development, technology transfer, engineering and joint manufacturing is expected to create opportunities for innovation, investment and the production of competitive defence equipment. The initiative also envisages collaboration across supply chains and the development of sustainable financing arrangements to strengthen industrial resilience and strategic autonomy.

Human resource development forms another important pillar of the agreement. Training programmes, professional exchanges and capacity-building initiatives will help equip personnel with specialised knowledge and technical skills required by modern defence industries.

The partnership also emphasises commercially viable investment and respect for the national priorities, sovereignty and legal frameworks of each participating country. This approach is intended to ensure that cooperation produces practical and sustainable benefits for the four nations’ defence industries and wider economies.

Mechanisms for effective implementation

To translate the agreement into concrete results, the MoU provides for the establishment of a Strategic Board and an Executive Committee. These bodies will coordinate activities, oversee implementation, monitor progress and identify opportunities for further cooperation. Regular meetings will also provide a platform for reviewing developments and advancing joint initiatives.

Indonesia’s Ministry of Defence views the agreement as an important step towards strengthening the self-reliance, capabilities and international competitiveness of its national defence industry.

Colonel Dr Tengku Sony S., SE, MIP, Defence Attaché of Indonesia in Doha, welcomed the MoU as a strategic milestone with considerable potential to deepen industrial cooperation among Indonesia, Qatar, Türkiye and Pakistan.

At a time when security requirements and defence technologies are rapidly evolving, Project Badr provides a platform for the four countries to pool their expertise, expand industrial capacity and pursue mutually beneficial opportunities.

The initiative’s long-term success will depend on sustained investment, effective coordination and the implementation of shared objectives, with the ultimate aim of delivering tangible technological, industrial and economic benefits to all four participating nations.