Brazil has consolidated an undisclosed agreement facilitating the transfer of technology and products to Saudi Arabia to construct its first military explosives factory, writes the Estadão outlet in a recent report.
The facility, established by Brazilian defense group Mac Jee located near the city of São Paulo per Saudi Arabia’s request, aims to meet the country’s military explosives demand by 2030.
This agreement was initially authorized in the latter half of 2018 during Michel Temer’s administration, with most construction occurring during Jair Bolsonaro’s government from 2019 to 2022.
Alongside this, Bolsonaro increased authorizations for military technology exports to Saudi Arabia.
Such private defense industry agreements require approval from three ministries: Defense, Science, and Foreign Affairs.
Data seen by Estadão reveals a rise in Brazilian companies’ interest in Saudi Arabia, with significant growth during Bolsonaro’s tenure.
The factory construction aligns with Saudi Arabia’s recent military developments, such as constructing a ballistic missile production complex.
The factory, about 500 thousand square meters, located within the Saudi Chemical Company Limited, the country’s largest civil and military energy production company, manufactures TNT and RDX, both components for certain types of bombs.
However, details regarding the contract’s value and the authorization process remain confidential.
Sources suggest that Mac Jee has grown significantly since the deal with Saudi Arabia, even incorporating prayer rooms within their premises to accommodate Muslim clients.
During the construction period, Bolsonaro and the then Minister of Mines and Energy, Bento Albuquerque, visited Riyadh on several occasions.
Simultaneously, allegations surfaced about a gift from the Arab monarchy to Bento, which is currently under investigation.
Despite the factory construction and the missile project occurring concurrently, those involved assert that Brazilian technology will not be used for ballistic missile production due to the country’s commitment to non-proliferation agreements.
However, the production of RDX at the factory could potentially be used in missile warheads.
The agreement between Brazil and Saudi Arabia came at a time when bin Salman was viewed negatively on the global stage due to the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Although many significant agreements were announced during this period, the majority did not materialize.
For instance, a US$10 billion investment planned in 2019 never came to fruition.
The specifics of the Saudi emissaries’ visits to Brazil remain unclear, and the anticipated investments have not progressed.
With information from Estadão