World Defense Show starts Phase 2 of construction

World Defense Show starts Phase 2 of construction. Image: World Defense Show 

More than one million tons of earth have been processed in the first week of works in preparation for the construction of the flagship event’s exhibition halls, access roads and car parking areas. The show will host over 800 exhibitors including 100 local defense companies, with a series of senior military delegations and officials set to attend.

According to organisers, the first of two halls is on track for completion by October this year. By December 2021, the second hall will be completed along with a new access road, land forces demonstration area and courtyard – a central point of access for dozens of hospitality suites playing host to high-level meetings between suppliers and buyers.

All runway clearing and excavation activities were finalized in Phase 1 of construction, with 89% of grading works completed – paving the way for state-of-the-art demonstrations of the latest military aircraft during the four-day event from 6-9 March 2022.

Hundreds of construction vehicles have been part of the construction efforts, including 75 bulldozers, 53 tipper trucks, 15 excavators and 12 roller compactors.

Shaun Ormrod, CEO of the World Defense Show, commented: “World Defense Show is the first event to be dedicated to tech-integration across the industry’s five domains, showcasing true interoperability at the greatest level – a topic that has become a growing challenge for defense decision makers around the world.

“A central part of that is our venue, which is equipped with 800,000 sqm of unrestricted area and purpose-built facilities for equipment demonstrations, conferences and exhibition halls.

“The exhibition area will use interactive technologies for product displays, simulations, and engaging seminars on an unprecedented scale.

“We are also proud to be the world’s first defense event to host a runway on site for live military aircraft demonstrations.”

Founded by Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI), World Defense Show is the global stage for defense interoperability across five domains: land, sea, air, security, and satellite. The world-class event will take place between 6-9 March 2022 and reoccur biennially in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh.

World Defense Show will enable the industry to keep pace with developments across defense and technology. The speed at which these developments take place compels the defense 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 launch an industry-wide front against the challenges presented by ever-deeper defense systems integration.