Terra Drone Begins Full-Scale Medical Logistics Drone Operations for Hajj, the Largest Islamic Religious Event, Through Its Saudi Subsidiary

Terra Drone Inc. (Head office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Representative: Toru Tokushige; hereinafter "Terra Drone") announces that through its Saudi Arabia-based subsidiary Terra Drone Arabia (hereinafter "Terra Drone Arabia"), in collaboration with NUPCO, a government-owned company responsible for medical logistics and procurement, it has commenced the deployment phase of medical logistics drone operations in the holy sites of Mecca during the Islamic religious event "Hajj."

In 2025, Terra Drone, in partnership with the Saudi Ministry of Health and NUPCO, implemented the first-ever drone medical supply delivery project during Hajj (see Note 1). This initiative represents the next step following that initial project, transitioning from demonstration and initial operations to more full-scale deployment.

Hajj took place from May 25 to May 29, 2026, and Terra Drone Arabia participated as the lead operator and technical partner overseeing drone operations.

Note 1: Related press release: "Terra Drone Conducts First-Ever Drone Medical Supply Delivery Project for Islamic Pilgrimage Hajj"
URL: https://terra-drone.net/22119

Background

Hajj is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, an annual pilgrimage that brings over 2 million pilgrims from around the world to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. During the event, pilgrims concentrate in certain cities, causing severe traffic congestion and significant challenges for emergency responses such as medical supply transport.

To address these challenges, in last year's initial project, Terra Drone Arabia delivered emergency medical supplies, including blood and pharmaceuticals, by drone in Mina and Arafat (Note 2). The drones were equipped with payload boxes featuring cooling functions necessary for maintaining drug quality. This reduced transport time from over 90 minutes by ground to less than 6 minutes, creating more transport opportunities and contributing to rapid medical response.

Building on these results, this initiative advances medical logistics by drone from the demonstration phase to the operational deployment phase.

Note 2: Mina and Arafat: Major holy sites near Mecca, Saudi Arabia, where pilgrims perform specific religious rituals during Hajj.

Details of the Initiative

Under the medical logistics partnership with NUPCO, Terra Drone Arabia is building an autonomous drone delivery system that avoids ground traffic congestion and rapidly transports life-saving medical supplies. Additionally, the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has granted unprecedented operational permits for specific drone operations, establishing a legal and safety framework to support high-density, low-altitude medical drone flights in crowded holy sites.

This project is led by the Saudi Ministry of Health, with collaboration among multiple stakeholders including NUPCO, Terra Drone Arabia, and other technical partners, operating under the strategic guidance of the Royal Court. This multi-stakeholder collaboration is advancing the implementation of an autonomous aerial delivery ecosystem for medical logistics.

Future Outlook

Through last year's initial Hajj project, Terra Drone demonstrated the effectiveness of drone-based medical logistics. This operational deployment builds on those results, moving from demonstration to implementation, contributing to further enhancement of medical services provided to pilgrims.

Going forward, Terra Drone will continue to promote the social implementation of drone technology in key sectors such as healthcare, infrastructure, and energy in Saudi Arabia through Terra Drone Arabia, contributing to sustainable infrastructure development and solving societal challenges.

Terra Drone Arabia

Terra Drone Arabia aims to become a leading provider of drone and spatial information services in the Middle East and Africa, offering a wide range of services including land surveying, bathymetric surveying, and data processing using cutting-edge technology to support corporate growth.

As a subsidiary of the globally recognized Terra Drone Inc., Terra Drone Arabia leverages international expertise to provide innovative solutions across various industries. Its entry into the Saudi market demonstrates the Terra Drone Group's strong commitment to promoting technological innovation in the country and supporting the achievement of Saudi Vision 2030. More information at https://terra-drone.com.sa/

Terra Drone Inc.

Terra Drone's mission is "Unlock 'X' Dimensions" (Merge different dimensions to create a prosperous future). The company develops drones and provides solutions. It also focuses on developing and providing UTM (Unmanned Traffic Management) systems to support safe and efficient drone operations, as well as developing UTM systems for flying cars targeting overseas markets, contributing to a wide range of industries.

Terra Drone boasts over 3,000 cumulative projects in surveying, inspection, agriculture, and traffic management. Its group-provided UTM has been implemented in 10 countries worldwide. As a result, Terra Drone has been ranked in the top two worldwide for industrial drone services since 2019 in the "Drone Service Company Global Ranking" published by Drone Industry Insights, and ranked first globally in 2024. Furthermore, at the "Japan Startup Awards 2025" hosted by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the company received the "Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Award" in recognition of its efforts to address social issues in the land transport sector.

Looking ahead to the widespread adoption of drones and flying cars, Terra Drone aims to solve societal challenges as a "global platformer of the low-altitude economy."

More information at https://terra-drone.net/

Inquiries

Terra Drone Inc.
Email: pr@terra-drone.co.jp
Website: http://www.terra-drone.net