{"id":10356,"date":"2026-10-26T07:30:23","date_gmt":"2026-10-26T04:30:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/terra-drone.com.sa\/?p=10356"},"modified":"2026-10-28T07:30:48","modified_gmt":"2026-10-28T04:30:48","slug":"drone-detection-in-saudi-arabia-passive-vs-active","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/terra-drone.com.sa\/ar\/drone-detection-in-saudi-arabia-passive-vs-active\/","title":{"rendered":"Drone Detection in Saudi Arabia: Passive vs Active"},"content":{"rendered":"

In April to June 2026, the FAA logged<\/span> 601 drone sightings<\/span><\/a> near US airports, up from 320 in the previous three months. These are reported sightings, not confirmed incidents. The FAA says it receives<\/span> more than 100 drone reports<\/span><\/a> near airports every month.<\/span><\/p>\n

Most of these sightings are harmless. A review by the Foreign Policy Research Institute found that<\/span> the overwhelming majority of drone incidents are accidents or innocuous events<\/span><\/a>, and most happen near airports. A hobby flyer loses signal. A drone drifts off course.<\/span><\/p>\n

But a security lead can\u2019t assume that. You need to know, within seconds, whether a drone is a mistake, a camera or a threat.<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s the job of a drone detection system in Saudi Arabia. It tells you what\u2019s in your airspace, where it came from and where it\u2019s going. It doesn\u2019t stop the drone. It gives your team the facts to act.<\/span><\/p>\n

This article covers three things. First, the drone threats at energy sites, industrial cities and airports. Second, how passive detection (RF, radar and EO\/IR) differs from active mitigation, and what the law limits in Saudi Arabia. Third, how to decide if a system is right for your site.<\/span><\/p>\n

A quick note on terms. A drone is also called an unmanned aircraft system (UAS). Systems that detect or stop drones are called counter-UAS systems.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why Industrial Sites Need Drone Detection Now<\/b><\/h2>\n

Fences, guards and CCTV cover the ground. They don\u2019t cover the air above your tanks, runways or substations. A drone can cross your fence line in seconds, and your team may never know it was there.<\/span><\/p>\n

Buyers have noticed. The global market for counter-drone systems at critical infrastructure and airports was <\/span>about SAR 10.5 billion in 2025<\/span><\/a> and is forecast to reach about SAR 36 billion by 2034, a growth rate of 14.7% a year. Energy and utilities held<\/span> about 22% of that market<\/span><\/a> in 2025, and airports held about 31%.<\/span><\/p>\n

The threat is also close to home. In late July 2026, Saudi Arabia\u2019s Ministry of Defense said its air defenses<\/span> intercepted and destroyed several drones<\/span><\/a> that tried to target oil facilities in Riyadh and the Eastern Region.<\/span><\/p>\n

Air defenses handle attacks at that level. A site still needs to see the smaller drones that fly below them, such as camera drones and modified commercial drones. That\u2019s where site-level drone detection fits.<\/span><\/p>\n

Threat Scenarios by Site Type<\/b><\/h2>\n

Not every drone is a threat, and not every threat looks the same. Three scenarios matter most for energy sites, industrial cities and airports: accidental intrusion, reconnaissance and payload risk.<\/span><\/p>\n

Accidental intrusion<\/b><\/h4>\n
\"Passenger
One drone sighting closed Copenhagen Airport for nearly four hours in September 2025.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This is the most common case. A hobby flyer loses control. A survey drone drifts past its boundary. A pilot doesn\u2019t know a restricted zone exists.<\/span><\/p>\n

The drone isn\u2019t hostile, but the cost can still be high. On 22 September 2025, drone sightings<\/span> closed Copenhagen Airport for nearly four hours<\/span><\/a>, and 109 flights were cancelled and 51 were diverted.<\/span><\/p>\n

An industrial site may not close for four hours. The same logic applies, though. If a drone hovers over a live process unit, your team has to decide whether to pause work. Without detection data, every decision is a guess.<\/span><\/p>\n

Reconnaissance<\/b><\/h4>\n

Drone surveillance of a site can look like normal flying. The signs are in the pattern. Watch for the same route, the same time of day, or long pauses over gates, tanks and control rooms. Dusk and night flights deserve extra attention.<\/span><\/p>\n

One flight proves nothing. Repeated flights can show intent. You can only see that pattern if your system logs every flight, with time, route and signal data.<\/span><\/p>\n

Industrial cities face a wider version of this problem. They have many tenants, many gates and long perimeters. A drone can survey one area, then move to the next, and no single tenant sees the full picture.<\/span><\/p>\n

Payload risk<\/b><\/h4>\n

Payload risk is the hardest to measure and the most serious. A drone can carry a camera, a signal device or something heavier. Even an empty drone is dangerous near aircraft.<\/span><\/p>\n

At airports, drones were involved in<\/span> nearly two-thirds of reported near midair collisions<\/span><\/a> with passenger planes at the 30 busiest US airports in 2024, the highest share since 2020, according to an Associated Press analysis.<\/span><\/p>\n

At energy sites, the worst case is an attack.<\/span> Bloomberg counted 120 drone attacks<\/span><\/a> on Russian energy facilities in 2025, and 81 of them hit refineries. Insurance broker Mains estimates<\/span> direct damage above about SAR 4.8 billion<\/span><\/a> and total losses above about SAR 48.4 billion when lost profits and indirect losses are included.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is a wartime case and a worst case. It\u2019s not a typical risk for a site in Saudi Arabia. It does show how much damage drones with payloads can do to refineries and storage tanks.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Site<\/b><\/td>\nMost likely scenario<\/b><\/td>\nWhat\u2019s at risk<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Energy sites<\/span><\/td>\nReconnaissance, payload<\/span><\/td>\nTanks, pipelines, people<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Industrial cities<\/span><\/td>\nReconnaissance, accidental intrusion<\/span><\/td>\nMany tenants, daily operations<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Airports<\/span><\/td>\nAccidental intrusion, collision<\/span><\/td>\nFlights, passengers, revenue<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Use this table to rank the scenarios for your own site. Your highest risk should decide which sensors you buy first.<\/span><\/p>\n

Detection vs Mitigation: What\u2019s the Difference?<\/b><\/h3>\n

Detection means finding, identifying and tracking a drone without affecting it. Mitigation means doing something to the drone, such as jamming its signals, taking over its control link or stopping it physically.<\/span><\/p>\n

The two work under different rules, carry different risks and often belong to different organizations. Detection comes first. No one should make a mitigation decision without detection data.<\/span><\/p>\n

A note on terms. In this article, \u201cpassive\u201d means detection that doesn\u2019t interfere with the drone. Radar sends out radio waves, so engineers call it an active sensor, but it doesn\u2019t change what the drone does. \u201cActive\u201d here means mitigation.<\/span><\/p>\n

The cost of not seeing a drone is real. The German Aerospace Center (DLR) counted 226 reported drone incidents in 2025, and<\/span> 116 of them affected flights at 25 German airports<\/span><\/a>. DLR estimates the loss at<\/span> at least EUR 60 million (about SAR 253 million), and up to EUR 160 million (about SAR 675 million)<\/span><\/a> once delay effects are counted.<\/span> Der Spiegel reported the same estimate<\/span><\/a> for Germany\u2019s aviation sector.<\/span><\/p>\n

You can\u2019t manage a cost you can\u2019t see. Early drone detection gives your team time to alert security, the control room and the right authorities.<\/span><\/p>\n

Passive Drone Detection: RF, Radar and EO\/IR<\/b><\/h3>\n
\"Diagram
Each layer covers the blind spots of the others.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There are three main ways to detect a drone. Each has a clear strength and a clear limit.<\/span><\/p>\n

RF drone detection<\/b><\/h4>\n

Most drones talk to the pilot\u2019s controller over radio. An RF sensor listens for those signals, matches them against known drone types and shows the direction they come from. It\u2019s called passive because the sensor only listens.<\/span><\/p>\n

With several sensors, you can find where a signal comes from by comparing arrival times. This is called time difference of arrival (TDOA). It can locate the pilot, which matters when you need to send security to the right place. Terra Drone Arabia describes these methods on its pages for<\/span> \u0627\u0644\u0643\u0634\u0641 \u0627\u0644\u0633\u0644\u0628\u064a \u0639\u0646 \u0627\u0644\u062a\u0631\u062f\u062f\u0627\u062a \u0627\u0644\u0631\u0627\u062f\u064a\u0648\u064a\u0629<\/span><\/a> \u0648<\/span> \u062a\u062d\u062f\u064a\u062f \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0648\u0642\u0639 \u0627\u0644\u0631\u0627\u0626\u062f \u0628\u0627\u0633\u062a\u062e\u062f\u0627\u0645 TDOA<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

RF drone detection has one clear limit. If a drone flies a pre-programmed route with no radio link, there\u2019s nothing to hear. Industrial sites also have a lot of radio noise, so sensors need careful placement and tuning.<\/span><\/p>\n

Radar<\/b><\/h4>\n

A radar sends out radio waves and listens for the echo. It can find any drone in range, whether or not the drone uses a radio link. It also tracks speed, height and direction. That makes it the main sensor against drones that fly on their own.<\/span><\/p>\n

Radar\u2019s limit is clutter. Small, slow drones can look like birds. Buildings, tanks and moving vehicles add false returns. A good radar setup needs tuning for your site, and you should test it there.<\/span><\/p>\n

EO\/IR<\/b><\/h4>\n

Electro-optical and infrared (EO\/IR) sensors are cameras. A day camera and a thermal camera sit on a pan-tilt unit. They don\u2019t search the sky well on their own. Once RF or radar points them at a target, they show what it is. A security officer can see whether it\u2019s a drone, what type it is and whether it carries something. Thermal works at night.<\/span><\/p>\n

The limits are line of sight and weather. Dust, haze and heat shimmer reduce image quality, and the field of view is narrow. In Saudi Arabia, plan for all three.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Method<\/b><\/td>\nWhat it finds<\/b><\/td>\nStrength<\/b><\/td>\nLimit<\/b><\/td>\nBest use<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
RF<\/span><\/td>\nDrone and controller signals<\/span><\/td>\nCan locate the pilot, doesn\u2019t interfere<\/span><\/td>\nMisses drones with no radio link<\/span><\/td>\nEarly warning, pilot location<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Radar<\/span><\/td>\nAny moving object in the air<\/span><\/td>\nSees drones with no radio link<\/span><\/td>\nBirds and clutter can raise false alarms<\/span><\/td>\nWide-area tracking<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
EO\/IR<\/span><\/td>\nVisual and heat image<\/span><\/td>\nConfirms what the object is, day and night<\/span><\/td>\nNeeds line of sight, affected by dust and haze<\/span><\/td>\nVerification<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

No single sensor is enough. In a layered setup, RF gives early warning and the pilot\u2019s location, radar tracks the drone, and EO\/IR confirms it. Each layer covers the blind spots of the others.<\/span><\/p>\n

Active Mitigation and What Saudi Law Limits<\/b><\/h3>\n

Active mitigation is any action that changes a drone\u2019s flight or control. It includes drone jamming, which blocks the signals a drone uses to receive commands or navigate. It also includes taking over the control link and stopping a drone physically.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mitigation is sensitive for good reasons. Jamming signals don\u2019t stop at your fence. They can affect nearby radio links, GPS used by aircraft, and equipment on your own site. A drone that loses control may also fall on a plant, a road or people.<\/span><\/p>\n

The legal side matters just as much. GACA announced in 2015 that<\/span> operating a drone of any size in the Kingdom\u2019s airspace without a permit is illegal<\/span><\/a>, and that it works with other government agencies to enforce the rule.<\/span><\/p>\n

In Saudi Arabia, mitigation is limited to authorized bodies. GACA regulates drones. It has said that<\/span> operating any drone without a permit is illegal<\/span><\/a> and that it works with other government agencies to enforce the rule. When drones are used in attacks, the armed forces respond. In late July 2026, the Ministry of Defense said its<\/span> air defenses intercepted and destroyed drones<\/span><\/a> aimed at oil facilities in Riyadh and the Eastern Region.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mitigation is a different step from detection. Jamming and takeover tools interfere with radio signals, so they can affect other systems nearby. A site operator should not use them without written approval from the responsible Saudi authority. The safe workflow is the one in this article: detect the drone, record the evidence and alert the authorized body.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

For a site operator, that sets a clear workflow:<\/span><\/p>\n