Unifly and Terra Drone Arabia - Terra Drone’s Group Companies, Participate as Partners in NUPCO’s Drone Initiative for Medical Supply During Hajj Season 1446H
Antwerp, June 10, 2025 – Unifly, a global leader in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management (UTM) technology, and Terra Drone Corporation, a leading drone and Urban Air Mobility (UAM) technology company headquartered in Japan, are pleased to announce that its Saudi Arabian subsidiary, Terra Drone Arabia, participated as technical partner and drone operator in a pioneering initiative launched by the National Unified Procurement Company (NUPCO), in collaboration with the Saudi Ministry of Health. The initiative aims to enhance the efficiency of medical supply delivery during the Hajj season of 1446H (the 2025 Hajj was held from June 4 to June 9) using drone technologies. To manage the operations of the drones used in the project, the UTM system developed by Unifly was employed.
Project Background
Hajj is one of the Five Pillars of Islam and is a religious pilgrimage that draws more than two million pilgrims from around the world to Mecca, Saudi Arabia each year.
This initiative marks a proactive step in utilising modern technologies to support the healthcare sector. It addresses the logistical challenges posed by the massive crowds in the holy sites, particularly in Mina and Arafat (1) , where traditional ground transport can take more than 1.5 hours. In contrast, drones can reduce delivery times to under 6 minutes, directly improving emergency medical response times.
Project Overview
As the technical operator of the initiative, Terra Drone Arabia deployed DJI Matrice350 RTK drones equipped with specially designed transport boxes to ensure the safe handling of medical supplies by maintaining the required temperature conditions.
The drone operations were safely and efficiently managed using the UTM system developed by Unifly, which served as the central coordination platform for the project. Unifly’s UTM system enabled real-time tracking of drone positions, proactive resolution of potential conflicts with other airspace users, automated alerting, and the delivery of precise landing instructions. By leveraging its advanced UTM capabilities and integrated safety systems, Unifly ensured the highest standards of airspace safety, fully compliant with the stringent operational requirements of densely populated environments such as the Hajj sites.
Operations were conducted under the supervision of the Ministry of Health and coordinated with several regulatory bodies, including the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Defense, and the General Authority of Civil Aviation, helping to establish a safe and organised operational environment.
Future Prospects
This initiative marks another milestone for Unifly’s UTM technology, further demonstrating its scalability and reliability in dynamic and safety-critical environments. Unifly continues to collaborate with partners worldwide to enable safe and seamless drone operations, supporting the digital transformation of airspace management and advancing the future of autonomous aviation, in line with initiatives such as Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.
Editor’s Notes:
Note 1: Mina and Arafat are two major holy sites located near Mecca in Saudi Arabia, where pilgrims perform specific religious rituals during the Hajj.
About Unifly
Unifly is a leading aviation tech company dedicated to enhancing the safety and efficiency of autonomous aviation with cutting-edge technology. The Unifly platform acts as a crucial bridge within the UAS ecosystem, enabling the safe and secure integration of next-generation aircraft into the airspace. By digitising and automating traffic management and integrating seamlessly with drones and Urban Air Mobility (UAM), Unifly addresses the exponential growth in air traffic expected in the coming decades. The company has a proven track record of implementing more than ten commercial UTM deployments, establishing it as a world leader in this industry.
For more information, please contact us at press@unifly.aero.
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