Sponsored by AOC Europe
https://www.aoceurope.org
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09 Mar 22. World Defense Show concludes first edition with SAR29.7bn in deals. Following four trade days that brought together 600 defense and security exhibitors from 42 countries, World Defense Show concluded its first edition today recording SAR29.7bn in deals. Founded by the General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI), the world’s first show focused on defense interoperability received 80 military delegations, 65,000 visits and representation from 85 countries from east to west.
H.E Ahmad Al-Ohali, Governor of GAMI said: “From its first edition, World Defense Show established itself as one of the top defense and security shows in the world, which reflects the Kingdom’s position as a global driver of collaboration, innovation and business opportunities. The networking, knowledge sharing and commercial relationships established through the World Defense Show platform will spur a new era of investment and growth for Saudi Arabia’s defense and security industry bringing us closer to achieving our target of localizing more than 50% of the Kingdom’s military expenditure by 2030.”
“We thank all exhibitors, visitors and partners for being part of this promising journey and we look forward to bolstering ties with them in the coming period, while we prepare for the show’s second edition set to take place between 3rd and 6th of March 2024,” Al-Ohali added.
As the regulator, enabler and licensor of Saudi Arabia’s defense sector, GAMI worked with partners to review contracts announced at the show, with detailed evaluation of technical specifications in line with international standards, ensuring spending efficiency and operational readiness.
The 2022 edition of World Defense Show was packed with industry-leading networking programs and demonstrations. From creating business opportunities through the “Meet the buyer” program to thought-provoking programs such as International Women in Defense and Future Talent, the show paved the way for further collaboration, sector growth and human capital development.
07 Mar 22. Saudi defense show bags $2.1bn in deals, GAMI says. Saudi Arabia’s first World Defense Show has seen the signing of 22 industrial partnerships with domestic and international defense companies with a value of SR8bn ($2.13bn), according to the show’s founder.
The General Authority for Military Industries — GAMI — which is also the regulator of the Kingdom’s defense sector said that the deals cover a broad range of activities, including the direct purchase of military systems, the building of production lines, knowledge transfer and training, and the localization of technologies and services.
“The deals come in line with GAMI’s Industrial Participation Program, an initiative launched in 2019 as the successor of Saudi Arabia’s Economic Offset Program to capitalize on existing capabilities and to generate new investments in the defense industries,” according to a statement.
GAMI is the founder of the WDS and the defense industries sector’s regulator. It is overseeing a process of deep industry reform, with an overall goal of retaining 50 percent of defense spending in the Kingdom by 2030.
“GAMI is implementing a strategy centered on the development of Saudi Arabia’s human capital, the fostering of industrial partnerships, and a program of supply chain localization that has identified more than 70 domestic investment opportunities worth tens of billions of dollars,” it added. (Source: https://www.arabnews.com/)
06 Mar 22. Russian and Ukrainian weapons compete at Saudi defence show. As the tragic reality of war unfolds in eastern Europe, visitors to a defence show in Saudi Arabia were met with the surreal sight of seeing the latest Ukrainian and Russian military hardware competing for attention in pristine exhibition halls. For Maxim Potimkov of Ukraine’s state arms exporter and importer, standing alone amid his country’s armoured vehicles, sales were the farthest thing from his mind.
“I came for this show because there has to be someone here and we have so much equipment here,” he told Reuters. “There was expected to be 50-plus people from Ukraine.”
Potimkov, from Kyiv, was travelling to Ukraine from a trade show in the United Arab Emirates when Russia launched its invasion last week, and he had to cancel his plans. Now back in the Middle East, he staffs a booth to promote Ukraine’s Kozark 7 and Kozark 2M tactical armoured vehicles and anti-drone systems.
Meanwhile, in an adjacent hall, Russian weapons makers were displaying Moscow’s hardware, including anti-aircraft weapons and air defence systems. Russian industry representatives, when approached by Reuters, declined to discuss economic sanctions imposed by the West in response to the war.
Hundreds of visitors at the defence show in Riyadh, including regional government, military and corporate officials, surveyed this exhibition of might from nations around the world even as residents of the Ukrainian coastal city of Mariupol experienced the dread power of such hardware at first hand.
Efforts to evacuate people from Mariupol – which has endured days of Russian shelling that has trapped people without heat, power and water – failed for a second day in a row on Sunday after a ceasefire plan collapsed.
vie for influence and contracts from wealthy Gulf Arab countries, especially Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which have moved to diversify their defence partners and want to develop their own industries..
Saudi Arabia leads a military coalition, which includes the UAE, that has been battling the Iran-aligned Houthi movement in Yemen for seven years. (Source: Reuters)
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AOC Europe
AOC Europe connects organisations and individuals across government, defence, industry, and academia to promote the exchange of ideas and information, and review the latest advances in electromagnetic and information-related fields. With a history spanning more than 25 years, AOC Europe is the Association of Old Crows’ flagship international event with 70+ manufacturers and 1000+ attendees from 40+ countries coming together to engage, innovate and network and to discuss all things within this dedicated sector.
Our 2022 conference theme:
Integrating Electromagnetic Effects across all Domains
The control of the electromagnetic spectrum is a fundamental requirement in modern warfare in all domains whether land, sea air, space, information or cyber. Systems operating in these domains must be able to communicate, make decisions, share information and take actions in a coordinated, controlled and effective manner using the electromagnetic spectrum.
To achieve and maintain this dominance, electronic warfare, radar, navigation, situational awareness and other information and communication systems require significant levels of integration and interoperability across all types of platforms and in all domains. Innovative integrated systems requirements, applications and enabling technologies will be considered from intelligence data gathering, analysis and data fusion through to the deployment of countermeasures and other actions that use the electromagnetic spectrum.
For more details on exhibiting/sponsoring, submitting a paper or attending the event visit www.aoceurope.org
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