Held under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, with the follow-up and supervision of Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the third edition of the World Defense Show (WDS 2026) concluded in Riyadh Thursday.

Inaugurated under the patronage of Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman (photo), and organized by the General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI), the show witnessed unprecedented international participation and exceptional results, with military and defense deals totaling approximately SAR 33 billion (US$ 8.8 billion).

At the closing Media Briefing, Eng. Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Al-Ohali, Governor of GAMI and Chairman of the World Defense Show Supervisory Committee, said the exhibition generated 73 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and 220 agreements in total, including 93 intergovernmental deals and 127 agreements between companies. Sixty arms procurement contracts were signed, totaling 33 billion riyals (US$8.8 billion), exceeding the totals recorded in the two previous editions.

WDS 2026 attracted 1,486 exhibitors from 89 countries and about 137,000 visitors. More than 700 defense products and technologies were showcased, ranging from air defense and electronic warfare to unmanned systems and cybersecurity. Furthermore, 513 official delegations from 121 countries also attended this major event.

The exhibition spanned 272,500 square meters, a 58% increase over the first edition, across four fully sold-out exhibition halls. 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.

The show drew unprecedented media attention more than 1,453 local, regional, and international journalists provided on-site coverage, alongside global broadcast networks and digital platforms.

Al-Ohali noted that “the results of World Defense Show 2026 reflect the Kingdom’s continued progress in building a nationally competitive global military industries sector. The agreements and partnerships we witnessed during the show reflect Saudi leadership in military industries and contribute to achieving Saudi Vision 2030 objectives.”

He extended his appreciation to all government entities and local and international companies participating in the third edition of the show, emphasizing that it successfully connected industry leaders and innovators from around the world.

Andrew Pearcey, CEO of World Defense Show, indicated that the show featured 355 live demonstrations and held 70 thought leadership sessions across three main theaters with 151 speakers, during which the latest defense capabilities were showcased in the domains of air, land, sea, space, and security, while highlighting the future of multi-domain defense system integration.

Pearcey noted that participation from the global defense industry reached new heights, with all of the world’s top 10 defense companies exhibiting at WDS 2026. World Defense Show 2026 also focused on talent development and advanced technologies through targeted initiatives including the Future Talents Program and the Saudi Supply Chain Zone, underscoring the Kingdom’s commitment to human capital development, supply chain advancement, and industrial capacity building.

With the conclusion of the 2026 edition, GAMI has commenced preparations for World Defense Show 2028, which will build on this year’s achievements while further supporting Vision 2030 objectives and strengthening Saudi Arabia’s central role in the global defense industry.

GAMI organizes the show every two years as part of its mandate to build and support the military industries sector, in a drive to boost military readiness, advance self-sufficiency, and meet Saudi Vision 2030’s target of localizing more than 50% of military spending by 2030.

Saudi Arabia has made what Al-Ohali called a historic leap in localizing military spending, rising from 4% in 2018 to 25% 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%, with Saudis now accounting for 63% of total employees.