The first edition of the World Defense Show - a biennial event featuring nearly 600 exhibitors from over 40 countries - opens today (March 6) in Saudi Arabia with an expected 30,000 visitors attending throughout the four-day show in Riyadh.
Founded by Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI), World Defense Show – set to be held every two years – will accelerate the future of the industry by showcasing the latest technological developments from around the globe, demonstrating defence interoperability across all major domains – air, land, sea, space and security systems.
Across the four trade days, high-level delegations from dozens of countries will visit stands and pavilions featuring products and demonstrations from hundreds of global and local exhibitors, said the statement from GAMI.
Being held under the patronage of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, World Defense Show will provide a unique platform for networking, collaboration, knowledge-sharing and the discovery of new innovations.
A tailored Meet the Buyer program will host up to 600 meetings, connecting buyers and suppliers, from companies that cover all major areas of the global defense industry, through pre-arranged, face-to-face meetings.
Another flagship networking program is World Defense Show’s Meet the KSA Government Program, highlighting opportunities in Saudi Arabia for investors to meet with key local defense players and learn more about the industry’s strategy, objectives, tendering and procurement guidelines as well as partnership requirements, it stated.
GAMI Governor Ahmad Al Ohali said the event will be a major milestone in the kingdom’s journey towards localising 50% of its military expenditure by 2030.
"We have seen overwhelming global interest for participating at World Defense Show’s first edition and we look forward to providing a conducive environment for networking and cross-border partnerships to drive innovation in the industry," he noted.
"There has never been a better time to partner with Saudi Arabia’s defense and security ecosystem as we continue to transform a nascent industry with immense potential. Our doors are open to international manufacturers and service providers who share our vision for technology transfer, talent development and defense industrialization," he added.
World Defense Show CEO Andrew Pearcey said it is envisioned to be one of the world’s best defence and security events, providing a world-class meeting environment with unprecedented networking programmes.
"The level of international demand is unlike anything we have seen before in the industry and that is testament to Saudi Arabia’s position as a key market for the industry and its vision to support economic growth through developing the defense sector. We look forward to inspiring conversations about the future of defense among visitors, delegations and exhibitors from over 80 countries," he added.
Spanning across an 800,000 sq m site World Defense Show features three large exhibition halls, outdoor exhibit spaces, a dedicated interoperability demonstration area, a purpose-built 3-km-long runway and space for static aircraft.
Running up to six times per day, an interactive and immersive Command & Control Center will feature a 20-minute show simulating the future of interoperability at the highest levels, said the statement from GAMI.
World Defense Show’s dedicated Start-Up Zone will host the latest technologies driven by small and medium companies from around the world – playing host to an exclusive networking environment to introduce SME products to industry decision-makers, investors and venture capital firms.
Daily themed panel discussions and keynote presentations will introduce the audience to insights giving rise to the technologies exhibited at World Defense Show. Key Saudi entities that are developing the Kingdom’s industry and economy will deliver sessions that offer insights into Saudi Arabia’s defense industry transformation, it added.
On International Women’s Day (March 8), leading female executives in defence industry will gather for a special occasion aimed at celebrating, promoting and accelerating participation in the sector.
The full-day event will feature keynote presentations and interactive panel discussions, to advocate for, and connect with the diverse voices of today’s defense community.
The final day of the show will open its doors to 5,000 talented Saudi students from the Kingdom’s best STEM institutions for the Future Talent Program, said the orgniasers.
The program will connect participants to career opportunities and apprenticeship programs in the defense and security sectors, offering young professionals valuable advice to kickstart and progress their careers, they added.-TradeArabia News Service
