Engineer Ahmad Al-Ohali, Governor of the General Authority for Military Industries, said the third edition of the World Defense Show was the product of two years of coordinated work by government entities and private sector partners to deliver what he described as a landmark event.
Speaking at a press briefing on Thursday in Malham, north of Riyadh, Al-Ohali said the exhibition was held under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, with the follow-up and supervision of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and inaugurated under the patronage of Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman.
The authority organizes the show every two years as part of its mandate to build and support the military industries sector, he said, in a drive to boost military readiness, advance self-sufficiency, and meet Saudi Vision 2030’s target of localizing more than 50 percent of military spending by 2030.
Held under the theme “Future of Defense Integration,” the exhibition showcased what Al-Ohali described as a shift toward a fully integrated defense ecosystem rooted in partnerships, innovation, technology transfer, stronger supply chains, and the development of national talent.
This year’s edition, he said, stood out for its local innovations, the Defense Industry Lab, Saudi capabilities and homegrown talent, alongside closer alignment between education, training and sector needs.
Saudi Arabia has made what Al-Ohali called a historic leap in localizing military spending, rising from 4 percent in 2018 to 25 percent by the end of 2024, a fourfold increase in eight years.
The national workforce in the sector grew from 25,000 in 2020 to 34,000, an increase of about 40 percent, with Saudis now accounting for 63 percent of total employees.
He said the gains reflect a structural transformation since the authority’s establishment in 2018, with the sector moving from full dependence on imports to building an integrated and sustainable national industrial base.
“This is still the beginning,” he said, reaffirming the goal of surpassing 50 percent localization and achieving high local content by 2030.
Al-Ohali said 26 government entities backed the preparation and execution of the show. Over five days, the third edition set records, attracting 1,486 local and international exhibitors from 89 countries, including the world’s top 10 defense companies.
The event hosted 513 official delegations representing 121 governments and attracted 137,000 visitors. Exhibition space expanded to more than 272,000 square meters, up 58 percent from the previous edition, with four halls compared with three in earlier editions.
One of the region’s largest specialized aerial and static displays featured 63 static aircraft and 25 aircraft in live air shows, including F-16, F-15, F-35, and Typhoon jets, with participation from the Saudi Falcons and South Korea’s Black Eagles.
The static display area included around 700 military assets. A dedicated naval platform featured participation from 10 countries, alongside an outdoor platform for unmanned systems and a zone for live land demonstrations.
Al-Ohali said the exhibition generated 73 memorandums of understanding and 220 agreements in total, including 93 intergovernmental deals and 127 agreements between companies. Sixty arms procurement contracts were signed, totaling 33 billion riyals, exceeding the totals recorded in the two previous editions.
He said the agreements, memorandums, meetings, and contracts were central to the exhibition’s objectives. The strong turnout, he added, signaled international confidence in Saudi Arabia as a strategic partner and an attractive destination for defense investment, reflecting growing trust in the Kingdom’s investment environment, particularly in military industries.
Planning has already begun for the next edition in 2028, Al-Ohali said, adding that the third edition demonstrated the sector’s ability to deliver results.
The exhibition is no longer just a display space, he said. It has become an active platform to shape the future of defense integration, reinforcing Saudi Arabia’s position as an international hub for integrated defense industries.
He said the Kingdom will continue strengthening its standing among nations that manufacture and develop military technologies, aiming to become a regional and global center in this strategic field.
