RIYADH - Under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud - may God protect him - the first edition of the International Defense Exhibition, the leading global event for defense and security, will be launched tomorrow, which is expected to attract nearly 30,000 visitors during its four days from 6 to 6 March 9, 2022.

The exhibition, which is organized by the General Authority for Military Industries once every two years, aims to advance the advancement of the defense and security industries locally and globally by highlighting the latest technical developments in the industry and operational compatibility systems across all five fields of defense - land, sea, air, space and information security. High-level delegates from around the world to see the latest equipment and systems that will be showcased by hundreds of local and international manufacturers.

His Excellency the Governor of the General Authority for Military Industries, Engineer Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Al-Ohali, said in a statement today that organizing this pioneering event in the defense and security industries sector in the Kingdom represents a strategic tool to support the Kingdom’s endeavors to localize more than 50% of spending on military equipment and services by 2030. He pointed out that the level of global demand for participation in the exhibition is great, which confirms the Kingdom's international position and its leading position in this sector.

Eng. Al-Ohali added that the exhibition will provide an ideal environment for communication and interaction between attendees with the aim of strengthening international partnerships in the fields of industry and innovation, stressing that the doors of partnerships and investment are open to manufacturers and international service providers who share the Kingdom’s vision to support technology transfer, develop competencies and localize the industry.

For his part, the CEO of the World Defense Exhibition, Andrew Percy, confirmed that the exhibition was designed to be one of the most prominent defense and security exhibitions in the world, especially through its world-class programs designed to stimulate communication and interaction between participants and attendees, noting that the level of demand is unprecedented at the level of The first copies of similar exhibitions around the world, which reflects the importance of the defense and security sector in the Kingdom and its clear objectives to support diversity and economic growth through the development of the defense sector, noting that the exhibition looks forward to stimulating meaningful conversations about the future of the sector among the attendees, including visitors, delegations, and exhibitors representing more than 80 exhibitors. Country.

The headquarters of the International Defense Exhibition was designed with an area of ​​800,000 square meters, which allowed the exhibition to expand rapidly to meet the huge demand that exceeded the size of the available exhibition spaces.

The exhibition facilities include 3 huge halls for the exhibitors’ pavilions and a 3 km long runway to host live shows of military aircraft, in addition to exhibits of static aircraft, static and live ground military equipment, and a virtual command and control center equipped with the latest systems and technologies that simulate the future of command and control centers produced by major defense companies. Globalism.

The World Defense Show offers a Partner Meetup Program that will allow for approximately 600 face-to-face interviews, bringing together selected suppliers and a wide range of buyers and decision makers around the world.

Pre-arranged meetings will be held through an advanced system that allows optimal communication between the importer and the supplier, as the program enhances the role of the World Defense Exhibition as the ideal environment for meeting partners in the defense and security industry.

The “Knowledge of the Kingdom and its Strategic Orientations Program in the Sector” will also highlight the huge partnership and investment opportunities in the Saudi defense and security industry. The program will allow local and international exhibitors to get acquainted with the most prominent Saudi government agencies in the sector, and review the latest developments in terms of procurement guidelines and tender offers. , investment requirements and partnership operations to work in line with the strategy and objectives of the defense industry in the Kingdom.

Representatives from the General Authority for Military Industries, the Ministries of Defense and Investment, and the Saudi Military Industries Company will speak in the sessions.

The International Defense Exhibition will present for the first time the "Command and Control Center", through 6 daily presentations for 20 minutes, where the center simulates strategic leadership in the areas of operational compatibility, reviewing the areas of command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance under the concept of the Joint Operations Center.

The exhibition will also include a start-up area that embraces the latest innovative technologies by small and medium-sized companies from around the world, where these companies will have an exclusive opportunity to communicate with investors and decision-makers in order to obtain support and financing.

The exhibition will present daily panel discussions and presentations to the public that will discuss the visions and ideas that resulted from some of the presented technologies.

A group of Saudi entities that contribute to building the industry and economy in the Kingdom will also present dialogue sessions that highlight the accelerating transformation of the local defense and security industries.

In order to enhance the role of women in the defense and security sector, the exhibition presents a program entitled “Women in the Defense Sector”, where an elite group of inspiring women leaders in the field from around the world will gather during International Women’s Day and a set of speeches and panel discussions will be presented on diversity and inclusion, and the pivotal role of women in This promising sector.

The last day of the exhibition, in line with the Kingdom's ambition to develop the national workforce, will showcase the "Future Talents" program, professional development opportunities and training programs in the sector, with the participation of 5,000 students who are distinguished in the fields of science, technology, engineering and computing.

The program focuses on educational activities and practical interaction with technologies, and hosts a selection of inspiring speakers and mentors on various academic and professional paths in the sector.

Riyadh Defense Forum sessions begin

The sessions of the "Riyadh Defense Forum", organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), one of the world's most famous intellectual leadership institutions, began today in Riyadh.

The forum, which is organized a day before the start of the World Defense Exhibition, brings together more than 300 prominent and influential figures in the government and military sectors from all over the world.

The Riyadh Defense Forum aims to enhance communication between the leaders of the government and military sector in the Kingdom and the world through dialogues on the most prominent issues of the industry and its future, where participants from the International Institute for Strategic Studies and dignitaries attending will discuss the latest research that drives the development of the defense and security sector in the twenty-first century.