The Saudi Pavilion at the Defense and Security Equipment International Exhibition (DSEI) was inaugurated here Tuesday by General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI) Governor Eng. Ahmed Abdulaziz Al-Ohali. GAMI is an affiliate of the Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia. The inauguration of the Saudi Pavilion, held under the “Invest Saudi” slogan, saw the attendance of several officials and investors in the defense and security military industries, and showcased the Saudi military industries sector as well as the large developments and local capabilities that meet the operational needs of the military apparatuses. Highlighting the occasion, Eng. Al-Ohali said Saudi Arabia’s participation is an extension of GAMI’s endeavors to enable the sector realize its targets that were set in the Saudi Vision 2030 through creating qualitative partnership and meeting with international investors interested in investing in Saudi Arabia to share the process of localization, exchange knowledge and expertise and transfer technology. He noted that Saudi Arabia attaches great attention to the defense and national security sector, and citing directives issued by the wise leadership to localize various industries in Saudi Arabia as a source to enrich the national economy and a reason for its sustainable prosperity, which resulted in establishing GAMI, responsible for localizing, organizing and empowering the military industries sector in Saudi Arabia. He noted that Saudi Arabia’s participation in the exhibition aims at shedding light on the promising investment opportunities in the sector, supporting investors and facilitating their access to the Saudi military and security industries market. He added that the military industries system in Saudi Arabia, represented by GAMI and all its public and private sector partners, realize the strategic goal of localizing the military industries in Saudi Arabia with more than 50% of the country’s expenditure on military equipment and services by 2030. Saudi Arabia’s participation at the DSEI event is expected to unlock the Middle East opportunity for UK firms. A senior-level delegation will be at the DSEI Saudi Pavilion to highlight opportunities in the Gulf defense show market. Several high-level dignitaries as well as leaders and key executives of large multinationals are set to visit the Saudi Pavilion, which will showcase a comprehensive portfolio of defense systems and solutions. Meanwhile, ADS, which represents more than 1,100 UK businesses operating in the aerospace, defense, security and space sectors, has officially confirmed its attendance at Saudi Arabia’s World Defense Show. The company will coordinate and manage the UK Pavilion at the inaugural show in Riyadh from March 6-9, 2022, unlocking opportunities for firms to access the fast-growing Middle East defense market. In the UK, ADS represents members ranging from major multinational businesses to hundreds of small and medium sized companies in every part of the UK. ADS and the UK Pavilion join hundreds of global defense companies that have signed up for exhibition space, including General Dynamics, Leonardo, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and Rolls Royce. In addition to the UK Pavilion, other major economies taking dedicated space include the USA, China, France, Spain, Italy, Estonia, Bulgaria, Portugal, South Korea and Ukraine. Shaun Ormrod, chief executive officer of World Defense Show, commented: “Following months of COVID restrictions, video calls and remote meetings, we are thrilled to be getting back on the ground and welcoming clients to the Saudi Pavilion at DSEI. “Visitors to the stand will be able to connect with key industry players and learn more about Middle East market opportunities at a time when regional defense economies are booming thanks to a rapid increase in local spending. “Our agreement with ADS means UK firms will further benefit from being part of a dedicated international pavilion space, bringing valuable brand exposure and increased footfall throughout the event.” Hosted in Riyadh, from March 6-9, 2022, World Defense Show will serve as the global stage for defense interoperability, a topic that has become a growing challenge for decision-makers around the world, connecting all five key domains — air, land, sea, space and security. It is the first event to put KSA on the map as a global defense hub, gathering peers and partners from the east and west to work together. The biennial event will enable the industry to keep pace with developments across defense and technology. The speed at which these developments take place compels the industry to cooperate across borders and domain expertise to generate opportunities throughout the defense value chain. By connecting key defense contacts, primes, SMEs, and buyers, World Defense Show has laid the foundations to advance the defense industry and address the challenges presented by ever-deeper defense systems integration. — SG