Saudi Arabia’s flagship international defense event, the World Defense Show (WDS), unveiled on Monday a state-of-the-art exhibition venue located on the outskirts of the Kingdom’s capital, Riyadh.
With an unrestricted area of approximately 800,000 sqm, the venue will be primed to accommodate the inaugural event, slotted for March 2022, as well as planned expansions for future editions of the Show, now cemented biennially in the global event calendar.
The WDS will feature a 3km-long and 50m-wide runway where live demonstrations of airpower will fly over static aircraft and land equipment displays.
An interactive on-site command center, equipped with the latest systems and technologies from the world’s leading defense companies, will showcase integration and interoperability across the various domains.
With design elements inspired by traditional Saudi architectural styles, the venue floorplan is segmented by geography across two 56,000 sqm exhibition halls, positioned to border the outdoor product display areas.
Within these zones, attendees will experience knowledge-sharing and networking sessions, engaging programs, and tech-powered, immersive experiences offering a window into the future of defense.
“We structured the venue around the show’s objective to facilitate valuable contacts and exchanges across local and international defense industry stakeholders,” said WDS CEO Shaun Ormrod.
“Attendees can also expect their well-being to be a top priority as we continuously monitor developments and implement precautions related to the COVID-19 pandemic,” he added.
“The WDS Operations team is working diligently to ensure the event upholds the highest public health standards,” Ormrod affirmed.
More so, WDS announced the Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), as a strategic partner in the global event.
As a national defense champion, SAMI’s objectives are aligned with WDS’ efforts to help localize 50% of Saudi Arabia’s defense procurement by 2030 as envisaged in Saudi Vision 2030.
