Under the patronage of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and on his behalf, Minister of Defense and Vice Chairman of the General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI) Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz will open the third edition of the World Defense Show (WDS), scheduled to take place from February 8 to 12, 2026, in Riyadh, to cement its position as a leading global event. The World Defense Show embodies the Kingdom's visionary leadership, serving as a future-focused, domain-driven international event designed to be the gold standard for global defense exhibitions. It receives full support from all relevant ministries, authorities, and companies, with participation from strategic entities in both the public and private sectors of the Kingdom. GAMI Governor Ahmad Al-Ohali expressed his gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Prime Minister, and Chairman of GAMI, for their generous patronage and unwavering support of the military industries sector. Al-Ohali stated: “The royal patronage is an extension of the leadership’s unwavering support to localizing 50% of military expenditure in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030. This commitment to innovation and cooperation exemplifies our dedication to fostering global partnerships, leveraging our strategic location, and harnessing the Kingdom’s industrial capabilities. Together, we are shaping the future of defense, ensuring stability and growth for our nation.” World Defense Show CEO Andrew Pearcey said: “The 2026 edition will build on the collaboration between government and industry to create a unique environment where the global defense supply chain can meet, share ideas, and do business. Through expanded venue capacity, cutting-edge content, and a strong focus on technology transfer and talent development, WDS 2026 will serve as a global catalyst—bringing together leaders, innovators, and emerging talent to chart the path for the defense industry’s future.” WDS is expanding for its 2026 edition with a fourth exhibition hall, increasing its total exhibition space by 58% compared to the inaugural event. The venue is designed to the highest international standards, which will enhance cooperation, partnership building, and the overall visitor experience. The World Defense Show has grown significantly with each edition. The 2024 event saw participation from 773 exhibitors representing 76 countries, hosted 441 official international delegations, facilitated SAR26 billion in deals, and attracted 106,000 trade visits, building on the success of the inaugural 2022 edition.

The General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI) is organizing the participation of the Saudi Pavilion at the Defense and Security Equipment International (DSEI 2025) in the British capital, London, to be held from September 9 to 12, 2025, at the ExceL London Centre. The exhibition brings together several pioneers in the military and security industries from around the world, providing a platform to enhance relationships, exchange expertise, and showcase the latest technologies in the field of military industries. The Saudi Pavilion includes, alongside GAMI, several entities from the public and private sectors, including the General Authority for Defense Development (GADD), the Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI), the Saudi Chemical Company Limited (SCCL), the Saudi Company GDC Middle East, in addition to the World Defense Show (WDS). The participation of the Saudi Pavilion in the DSEI 2025 embodies the Kingdom's leadership in building and developing a strong and organized military industries sector, based on robust legislative frameworks and regulations. This supports efforts for localization, enablement, and prosperity of this vital sector, in addition to supporting and enabling national companies operating in the sector, attracting qualitative global investments, and transferring and localizing technology while exploring opportunities for cooperation and partnerships with global companies, in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 towards localizing military industries. The participation of the Saudi Pavilion in the exhibition aims to welcome investors in the military industries sector and highlight the most prominent military capabilities. Through organizing the Saudi Pavilion's participation in the exhibition, GAMI seeks to showcase the progress made by Saudi Arabia in building a solid and sustainable defense industrial base and to highlight the efforts made to enable companies operating in the military industries sector and enhance their competitiveness internationally. During the exhibition, GAMI will also present its tasks, national priorities, policies and regulations, and the investor journey and incentives offered, which contribute to attracting investment in the sector. The participation of the Saudi Pavilion in DSEI 2025 comes as part of GAMI's efforts to enhance national readiness and develop military industrial capabilities, with the aim of localizing over 50% of military spending on equipment and services by 2030, and developing the military industries sector to become one of the pillars of the national economy. It is worth noting that the DSEI exhibition in the United Kingdom is a pivotal event in the global defense industry. The world's leading defense organizations and key stakeholders rely on its ability to bring together the right expertise at the same time. The upcoming edition is expected to attract over 45,000 visitors from more than 90 countries and over 1,600 exhibitors from relevant sectors.

The Saudi pavilion participating in the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI 2025) was officially inaugurated today in London, the capital of the United Kingdom. Organized by the General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI), the exhibition runs from September 9 to 12 and features participation from numerous public and private sector entities. The event brings together global leaders in the military and security industries, providing a platform to strengthen relationships, exchange expertise, and showcase the latest advancements in military technology. The Saudi pavilion was inaugurated His Excellency Eng. Ahmad bin Abdulaziz Al-Ohali, Governor of GAMI, in the presence of His Excellency Dr. Nasser bin Abdulaziz Al-Dawood, Deputy Minister of National Guard, His Excellency Chief of General Staff, Lieutenant-General Fayyad bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili, His Excellency Mr. Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Duailej, President of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), Member of the Board of Directors of GAMI, and Mr. Bandar bin Salman Al-Sudairi, Chargé d'Affaires of the Saudi Embassy in the United Kingdom. The event was also attended by CEOs of participating national companies, along with senior military officials, experts, and specialists from around the world. During the opening tour, the distinguished guests were briefed on the latest national products, military industrial capabilities, and advanced technologies on display. Eng. Ahmad bin Abdulaziz Al-Ohali, Governor of GAMI, emphasized that the Saudi Arabia's participation in DSEI 2025 comes within the framework of enhancing its position as a leading regional hub for military industries, activating international partnerships to enable the sector, and attracting quality investments that contribute to achieving the targets of Saudi Vision 2030 by localizing over 50% of government spending on military equipment and services by 2030. He affirmed that the Saudi pavilion serves as a strategic platform to showcase the progress achieved by national companies in developing innovative defense products and technologies, and reveals the Saudi Arabia's commitment to enhancing cooperation with international partners, contributing to the achievement of regional and international security and stability. This participation reaffirms the growing role of Saudi Arabia in the military industries sector and demonstrates GAMI’s commitment to supporting and enabling national companies, enhancing their competitiveness on the global stage, and contributing to national security and sustainable economic development. The Saudi pavilion aims to highlight the qualitative advancements in Saudi Arabia's military industries, showcase cutting-edge defense systems and technologies, and explore new avenues of cooperation with major international companies. In addition to GAMI, the pavilion features participation from several public and private sector entities, including the General Authority for Defense Development (GADD), Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI), Saudi Chemical Company Limited (SCCL), GDC Middle East, and the World Defense Show (WDS). Throughout the exhibition, the Saudi pavilion will showcase key products and military industrial capabilities that demonstrate Saudi Arabia's efforts to enable the sector. GAMI will also highlight its role, responsibilities, national priorities, regulatory policies and legislation, as well as incentives and investor journey. The pavilion will host numerous bilateral meetings and engagements with participating international companies and delegations, fostering knowledge exchange and expertise sharing.

The Saudi pavilion at the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI 2025) in the British capital, London, concluded its participation by strengthening strategic partnerships and showcasing the latest defense technologies and innovations. The pavilion, organized by the General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI), featured six government and private entities from September 9 to 12 at London's ExCeL exhibition center. GAMI Governor Eng. Ahmad Al-Ohali and the accompanying delegation held a series of fruitful bilateral meetings with senior military officials and CEOs of major global defense companies. Discussions explored ways to enhance cooperation in the military industries sector, exchange expertise, and enable national companies to boost their competitiveness on the global stage, in service of national security and sustainable economic development goals, advancing the localization of military industries in the Kingdom. The Saudi participation highlighted the Kingdom’s growing products and capabilities in this vital sector, supported and enabled national companies operating in the field, attracted global investments, and facilitated technology transfer and localization. The Saudi pavilion welcomed a large number of visitors, officials, and experts, fostering exchanges of expertise, investment opportunities, and knowledge transfer. The participation underscored the Kingdom’s leadership in building and developing a local and sustainable military industries sector, grounded in robust legislative frameworks and regulations, supporting efforts for localization, enablement, and prosperity in this vital sector. As part of the Saudi pavilion's participation at DSEI 2025, GAMI organized a workshop titled “Exploring Investment Opportunities in Saudi Arabia,” attended by Al-Ohali and UK Minister of State for Defence Readiness and Industry and Co-Chair of the Saudi–UK Industrial Committee Luke Pollard. The workshop discussed means of cooperation between Saudi and British companies to enable supply chains in support of localization targets. The Saudi pavilion witnessed the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Saudi company GDC Middle East and the international company ABS to establish a specialized workshop for maintaining helicopter blades, and a strategic partnership agreement between DEMCO and D&M holding companies to localize the manufacturing of detonators for light, medium, and heavy ammunition and propellants for light, medium, and heavy ammunition. These strategic partnerships reflect the growing role of the military industry sector in Saudi Arabia, stemming from GAMI's keenness to support and enable national companies and enhance their competitiveness on the international stage, thereby achieving national security and sustainable economic development objectives. The Saudi pavilion also attracted widespread attention from official delegations and visitors. Diverse presentations were given on the most prominent national products, innovative technologies, and advanced military capabilities offered by the participating Saudi companies. The attractive investment environment in the Kingdom was also highlighted by introducing incentives and the investor journey, along with a comprehensive overview of the role and tasks of GAMI, regulatory policies and legislation, and the most prominent national capabilities in the fields of military and security industries. Visitors praised the advanced level reached by Saudi military industries and the great ambitions the Kingdom seeks to achieve in this vital sector. During the exhibition, GAMI reaffirmed its commitment to achieving the goal of localizing over 50% of military spending on equipment and services by 2030 and developing the military industries sector into a pillar of the national economy. This will be achieved by enabling and developing national military manufacturing capabilities, transforming the sector into a vital economic contributor and a key player in enhancing defense independence and national security. Efforts will also focus on facilitating the flow of local and global investments through sector governance and updating regulations governing military activities. GAMI emphasized that the Saudi pavilion’s participation successfully achieved its objectives of enhancing the Kingdom’s position as a reliable partner on the global stage, expanding its network of relationships with major international companies, and enabling national companies to showcase their capabilities and explore growth and expansion opportunities in global markets

The General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI) announced that the localization percentage of military spending in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has risen to 24.89% by the end of 2024. This marks continued progress toward achieving over 50% localization by 2030. Furthermore, GAMI honored beneficiary government entities and sectors, as well as companies operating in the industry that won the Excellence Award in Localizing Military Industries. This came during the Annual Military Industries Sector Meeting, organized by GAMI today in Riyadh, with broad participation from government and private entities, as well as local and international companies operating in the sector. According to GAMI, this percentage represents a pivotal stage in the development of Saudi Arabia’s military industries sector. It is the result of ongoing efforts to enable the sector through the development of regulatory and legislative frameworks, the growth of Saudi supply chains in military industries, and the promotion of investment, enhancing the sector’s ability to expand and grow while creating opportunities for national talent to contribute to the future of this industry. The localization percentage achieved in military spending reflects a comprehensive strategy aimed at building a sustainable national sector capable of achieving self-sufficiency and strengthening the Kingdom’s strategic autonomy. Saudi Arabia is committed to establishing international partnerships with leading global manufacturers to transfer advanced technologies and localize industrial capabilities. The presence of major international defense companies in the Kingdom reflects strong confidence in its investment environment and regulatory frameworks. This contributes to enhancing Saudi Arabia’s military readiness and defense independence by showcasing its growing military industrial capabilities and the progress made toward building advanced, sustainable defense industries that support localization and strengthen national defense capacities. GAMI continues to enable the sector in Saudi Arabia through international partnerships with leading global manufacturers to transfer advanced technologies and localize industrial capabilities, further advancing the localization journey and building a sustainable, advanced military industry that supports defense readiness and the beneficiaries of its capabilities. On the sidelines of the annual meeting, Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI), Lockheed Martin, and Roketsan Saudi Arabia presented their experiences in the Saudi market through a session titled: “The Role of Global Companies in Developing Local Supply Chains for Military Industries.” The Annual Military Industries Sector Meeting 2025, organized by GAMI, serves as a strategic platform bringing together beneficiary and supporting government entities and companies operating in the sector. The event was attended by several ministers, senior officials, and CEOs of local and international defense companies, as well as investors. The annual meeting reflects the positive image of Saudi Arabia as a significant industrial power in the defense sector and reinforces its position as a stable and attractive investment destination built on clear strategic plans.

Today, the General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI) began its participation in Dubai Airshow 2025, held at Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The airshow is one of the largest and most significant specialized exhibitions in the fields of aviation and defense worldwide and will continue until November 21. Eng. Saleh bin Abdullah Al-Aqili, Deputy Governor of GAMI for the Enabling Sector, met His Excellency Eng. Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, Minister of Transport and Logistics Services, and His Excellency Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Duailej, President of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA). In a related context, Al- Aqili discussed with several representatives of international companies prospects to strengthen strategic partnerships and transfer advanced technologies to contribute to the enablement of the military industries sector. It is worth noting that Dubai Airshow serves as a platform for deals between manufacturers and operators, highlights the ongoing development of the defense and aviation industries in the Middle East, and strengthens cooperation between international companies and government entities in the region.

The General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI) has concluded its participation in Dubai Airshow 2025, which was held over five days at Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The exhibition featured a series of bilateral meetings between GAMI Deputy Governor for the Enablement Sector Eng. Saleh Al-Aqili and a number of representatives from specialized international government entities, as well as national and international companies. Discussions focused on avenues of cooperation to enhance opportunities for strategic partnerships and transfer advanced technologies, contributing to the enablement of the military industries sector.

The Governor of The General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI) Eng. Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Al-Ohali highlighted during the Budget Forum 2026 that the military industries sector in the Kingdom has significantly transformed due to Vision 2030. This initiative has bolstered national security, supported the economy, and created job opportunities, with local military spending expected to contribute over SAR6.5 billion to GDP by the end of 2024. He said GAMI, established in 2017 and operational since 2018, has created a comprehensive licensing system with around 344 accredited local companies. The authority aims to empower the private sector by providing an attractive investment environment and tailored plans for military and security needs. Over the past six years, he stated that more than 140 industrial and service capabilities have been developed, disclosing that domestic military spending has increased from 4% in 2018 to 25% by 2024, with local content reaching 40%. Al-Ohali asserted that the sector has generated over SAR4 billion in jobs, with the workforce growing from 25,000 to over 34,000, 64% of whom are Saudi nationals. He emphasized that the military industry sector is promising, supported by a clear vision and unlimited support.

Under the patronage of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI) will organize the third edition of the World Defense Show (WDS) in Riyadh from February 8 to 12, bringing together official delegations, government entities, and leading international companies specializing in the defense and security sectors. GAMI Governor Ahmad Al-Ohali said the third edition reflects the Kingdom’s commitment to innovation, localization, and the development of an integrated defense ecosystem through platforms that unite government bodies with international partners. He noted that the show will feature a comprehensive program, including live air and land demonstrations, static displays, and newly developed zones, enhancing opportunities for partnership and integration between Saudi government entities and major national and global defense companies. He added that the show supports efforts to localize more than 50% of military spending, in line with Vision 2030, while also contributing to higher operational readiness and strengthening the Kingdom’s strategic independence in the defense sector. WDS CEO Andrew Pearcey highlighted that the exhibition features a fully equipped airport with a 2,700-meter runway, four taxiways, and expansive display areas showcasing the latest aircraft, underscoring the show’s status as a leading global defense event capable of hosting world-class integrated displays. The World Defense Show is expected to see participation surpassing that of the previous edition, reflecting continued growth in exhibitor numbers, official delegations, and international engagement.

Riyadh, February 09, 2026, SPA -- Under the patronage of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and on his behalf, Minister of Defense and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI) Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz inaugurated in Riyadh the third edition of the World Defense Show, organized by GAMI until February 12. At the Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) Group pavilion, t er of defense launched SAMI Land Company, SAMI Autonomous Company, SAMI Land Industrial Complex, and the HEET Program. He also unveiled the SAMI Local Content Program (RUKN), the group's flagship supply chain program. Prince Khalid and Korean counterpart witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Saudi General Authority for Defense Development and the Korean Agency for Defense Development. The agreement focuses on defense research, development, and innovation in advanced military technologies and systems. The minister of defense also signed three defense cooperation agreements with Slovakia, Malaysia, and Somalia.