Saudi Arabia's new defence venue revealed during DSEI

With Hall One nearing completion and infrastructure being put in place for Hall Two, the unveiling of the scale model and new renders at the Saudi Pavilion – alongside show founder General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI) and strategic partner Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) brings the World Defense Show grounds to life for the first time.

The state-of-the-art venue, on a site spanning 800,000 square metres, will welcome more than 30,000 visitors and 800 exhibitors from 6-9 March next year. A regular program of site visits for local businesses, government officials and industry leaders is underway, with major interest in on-site progress from across the defense sector.

Features of the venue include the world’s first purpose-built runway dedicated to defense events, dedicated exhibition space across two halls, hard standing for ground equipment and dozens of hospitality suites with views over the static display area and runway.

Located on the outskirts of the Kingdom’s capital, Riyadh, the space is custom-built for World Defense Show and outfitted with facilities designed to ensure the ultimate visitor experience.

The centre piece of the show is a 2.7km-long and 50m-wide purpose-built runway where live demonstrations of air power will fly over static aircraft and land equipment displays.

An interactive on-site command and control centre, equipped with the latest systems and technologies from the world’s leading defense companies, will showcase integration and interoperability across the various domains.

Shaun Ormrod, chief executive officer of World Defense Show, commented: “We started from a blank slate when designing the venue, so everything is completely purpose-built in line with the requirements of a modern defence event.

“Dedicated spaces have been specifically created to meet the needs of our exhibitors, including a two-kilometer runway, hard standing for ground equipment and a command and control center which facilitates the show theme of interoperability.

“Ultimately, this will enable exhibitors to fully demonstrate the capabilities of a wide range of products providing a real immersive experience for visitors of the show."

He concluded: “As you would expect, our venue will also deliver key networking areas, on-the-floor conference spaces and hospitality to entertain, connect and unlock business leads and opportunities.”