World Defense Exhibition 2024 Inaugurated in Riyadh, Showcasing Saudi Arabia's Commitment to Military Industries

Riyadh: Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Minister of Defense and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Authority for Military Industries, officially opened the World Defense Exhibition 2024 in its second edition today in Riyadh. The exhibition, organized by the General Authority for Military Industries, will run from February 4 to 8, 2024, and features the participation of defense ministers and senior officials from brotherly and friendly countries.

Prince Khalid bin Salman emphasized the leadership's unwavering support for the military industries sector in the Kingdom and its commitment to enhancing and developing national military industrial capabilities. The exhibition, with its global participation, serves as a testament to Saudi Arabia's position as a global center for organizing specialized exhibitions, particularly in the defense and security industry.

The opening ceremony commenced with an air show and displays of static aircraft, which were attended by the Minister of Defense and defense ministers and senior officials from several nations. Prince Khalid bin Salman then toured the exhibition facilities, which include over 773 exhibitors from more than 75 countries. The exhibition also saw the participation of government agencies, major local and international companies in the defense and security industry, and other sectors related to the military and defense industries.

Engineer Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Al-Ohali, the Governor of the General Authority for Military Industries, expressed his gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, the Crown Prince, Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Authority for Military Industries for their continuous support and care for the sector. He highlighted the importance of this support in advancing the defense and security industry, achieving Saudi Arabia's strategic independence, and localizing the national military industries sector as outlined in Saudi Vision 2030. Al-Ohali revealed that the rate of localization has increased from 4% to 13.6%, with 477 establishment permits and licenses issued to 265 companies operating in the military industries sector. Additionally, more than 74 investment opportunities have been launched to localize supply chains, and the sector's contribution to the domestic product is projected to reach approximately SAR 93.75 billion by 2030, creating 40,000 direct and 60,000 indirect job opportunities.

The World Defense Exhibition serves as a global platform for experts, manufacturers, and decision-makers in the defense and security industry sector. The second edition of the exhibition builds upon the success of the inaugural event held in 2022 and will support Saudi Arabia's pursuit of Emiratization goals while fostering international partnerships and technology transfer in the defense and security field.

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