World Defense Show 2024 to Spur Saudi Growth
The second edition of Saudi Arabia’s World Defense Show (WDS) in 2024 is gearing up to be a major global event. With over 60 exhibiting countries, it will see a substantial increase of more than 20 nations compared to the inaugural event. The World Defense Show 2024 to Spur Saudi Growth will attract wider participation and spur investments for the Kingdom’s defense industry.
New country pavilions
Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Denmark, Kuwait, Oman and several African countries will be making their first appearance. Returning countries like Czech Republic, Greece, China, India, Switzerland and Italy have also significantly expanded their pavilions. Prominent countries like France, South Korea, US and UAE have committed to large exhibition spaces.
Connecting future talent
The Future Talent program at WDS plays a key role in developing young professionals for the burgeoning defense sector. Al-Babtain explained that this aligns with Saudi’s goal of localizing 50% of defense expenditure by 2030, which requires a steady pipeline of skilled talent.
At WDS 2022, over 5000 STEM students were connected to career opportunities. For 2024, the target is 8000 students by collaborating with the General Authority for Military Industries.
Fostering global collaboration
With exhibitors from over 60 countries and 100 official delegations, WDS fosters global defense industry collaboration across technology, intelligence and hardware. This allows for partnership opportunities and participation in discussions and panels.
Business and partnership opportunities
The expanded scale of WDS 2024 with more exhibition space and duration presents immense potential investment opportunities. Deals worth $7.9 billion were signed during the last edition over four days. With more exhibitors this time, the prospects for business and partnerships are significant.
Wider industry engagement
By bringing together different groups across nations and supply chains, WDS has become an inclusive platform for the global defense industry to connect, collaborate, and foster cross-cultural cooperation. This remarkable initiative serves as a bridge that unites diverse stakeholders and facilitates the exchange of knowledge, ideas, and best practices. Through its unwavering commitment to promoting international dialogue and partnership, WDS plays a pivotal role in fortifying global defense capabilities and building lasting relationships between nations, thereby contributing to the collective security and prosperity of our interconnected world.
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The 2024 World Defense Show in Saudi Arabia will spur major growth for the Kingdom’s defense industry. With expanded participation, the event will foster global collaboration and present increased business opportunities. WDS 2024 will accelerate Saudi Arabia’s defense localization goals and strengthen its position as an emerging leader in the global defense landscape.
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