Under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdul Aziz, and on his behalf, Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdul Aziz, Saudi Minister of Defense and Deputy Chairman of the Board of the General Authority for Military Industries, will inaugurate the third edition of the Global Defense Exhibition, held from February 8 to 12, 2025, in Riyadh.

The exhibition, organized by the Authority, is a leading global event in the fields of security and defense. King Salman’s patronage of its third edition reflects the Saudi leadership’s keenness, interest, and continuous support for the military industries sector, enhancing localization efforts, raising military readiness, and achieving the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.

The exhibition enjoys integrated support from all ministries, authorities, and related companies, with strategic participation from both the public and private sectors in Saudi Arabia.

Engineer Ahmed Al-Owhali, Governor of the Authority, expressed thanks and appreciation to King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their generous patronage, valuing the unlimited support for the promising sector to enhance Saudi Arabia’s strategic independence, empower national companies, and boost their competitiveness internationally.

Al-Owhali indicated that this strengthens the localization journey of the promising national military industry sector and achieves the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 by localizing over 50% of Saudi spending on military equipment and services by 2030.

He emphasized the exhibition’s importance in enhancing strategic partnerships, showcasing the latest defense technologies and innovations, and highlighting Saudi Arabia’s growing products and capabilities in this vital sector, as it serves as a global platform for experts, manufacturers, and decision-makers in security and defense.

He added that the third edition will build on the successes of the first two editions held in 2022 and 2024, representing a strategic tool supporting the nation’s localization goals and providing an ideal environment for communication and interaction among attendees to enhance international partnerships in military industries.

Al-Owhali pointed out that the exhibition will be an ideal platform to empower the sector, integrate efforts to enhance investment, and establish qualitative partnerships among all manufacturers and international service providers participating in achieving Saudi Vision 2030 through technology transfer, competency development, and industry localization.

Andrew Percy, CEO of the exhibition, explained that the priority during the third edition is to highlight the future of defense integration, stressing their keenness to provide programs designed to develop and improve communication among participants, exhibitors, governments, supply chains, and investors.

Percy noted a 58% increase in exhibition space compared to the first edition due to high participation from local manufacturers and global companies, following the success of the previous two seasons.

The third edition intends to provide a fourth exhibition hall in addition to the three main halls, designed to the highest standards, making it the best platform to build bridges of cooperation and partnership within the sector.

The second edition witnessed the signing of military and defense purchase contracts between local and international parties totaling approximately 26 billion Saudi Riyals, with significant participation from 773 exhibiting entities from 76 participating countries, attendance exceeding 441 official international delegations, and more than 106,000 visitors.