Building the Foundations of the SBJBC Defence & Resilience Stream
8–12 February 2026 | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Why the World Defence Show Matters
The World Defence Show (WDS) has established itself as one of the largest defence exhibitions in the world in the space of three editions. The 2026 show, organised by the General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI) under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, ran from 8 to 12 February at a purpose-built venue outside Riyadh. The final figures were impressive, with 1,486 exhibitors from 89 countries, 513 official delegations from 121 countries, 137,000 visitors, and 272,500 square metres of exhibition space, a 58% increase over the first edition in 2022. All of the world’s top 10 defence companies exhibited at WDS 2026.1
Over the five days, 60 military and defence deals were announced with a combined value of approximately SAR 33 billion (US$8.8 billion), alongside 73 Memoranda of Understanding and 220 agreements in total.2 The show delivered 355 live demonstrations and more than 700 static military assets, while the air programme included 63 static aircraft and 25 live flight demonstrations featuring F-15, F-16, F-35, and Typhoon platforms.2
This edition introduced several new features, such as a dedicated Naval Zone addressing maritime security in the Red Sea and Gulf, an Unmanned Systems Zone, a Space Domain area, and the Future Defence Lab covering AI, robotics, autonomous systems, quantum technologies, and cybersecurity. A Saudi Supply Chain Zone was added for the first time to connect Saudi SMEs and startups with international defence companies. 70 thought-leadership sessions ran across three theatres with 151 speakers.2, 3
The context for the show’s scale is Saudi Arabia’s broader defence transformation. Defence localisation in the Kingdom has increased from 4% in 2018 to 25% in 2024, against a Vision 2030 target of 50%, and the military budget stands at approximately $78 billion.3 GAMI and SAMI are using WDS as the forum to convert that spending into domestic industrial capacity, and international primes such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems, and Rolls-Royce are responding by shifting from supplier relationships towards production partnerships and technology transfer arrangements.3 Knowledge exchange remains a critical area of interest, with international companies focused on training and developing the local Saudi population to work towards key Saudisation targets critical to the success of the localisation agenda.
Interested in taking part in SBJBC’s Defence & Resilience Stream? Contact SBJBC Researcher Robert McNamara at robert@sbjbc.org to express your interest.
Read the full report here: [SBJBC at the World Defence Show]
